Alex Eala has written her name into Philippine tennis history, claiming her first WTA title at the Washington Open with a memorable comeback victory over Jessica Pegula. The 21-year-old entered the second day of a storm-interrupted final trailing by a set, yet she turned the match completely around, taking the second set 6-4 before a stunning 6-0 bagel in the decider sealed the deal in front of a raucous Filipino-heavy crowd.
Within hours of the conclusion, Rafael Nadal posted a congratulatory message on social media, calling it an incredible week and praising both Eala and the Philippines. It was not the first time Nadal had celebrated the young Filipina publicly. Earlier in 2025, he expressed enormous pride after her remarkable run to the Miami Open semifinals, which included a victory over Iga Swiatek. Eala spent her formative years training at the Nadal Academy in Spain, where she also connected with her current coach Joan Bosch.
Greg Rusedski, the former world No. 4, was equally effusive, labeling Eala the most exciting player on the WTA tour before the final had even concluded. Speaking on his podcast, Rusedski highlighted her fearless baseline game and early ball-striking as genuine weapons, while pointing to her serve as the one area requiring improvement before she can truly compete for Grand Slam titles. He drew a comparison to Eugenie Bouchard's aggressive style but noted that Eala's mentality appears considerably stronger, predicting she could be in the major-contention mix as early as 2027.
Pegula, gracious in defeat, took a moment to acknowledge the incredible support Eala receives globally, calling her Filipino fanbase a wonderful force for growing the women's game worldwide.
With her ranking now inside the top 20 and minimal points to defend at upcoming hardcourt events, TennisDraw users backing Eala for a deep US Open run could be onto something very special.
