Alexandra Eala sought one of the most remarkable revenges to conquer Jessica Pegula en route to her career’s maiden Tour-level title at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open. The 21-year-old, who became the first player from the Philippines to achieve the feat, was in disbelief as she dropped to the ground in tears before celebrating her milestone with her team.
Alexandra Eala Shares Her Raw Feelings After Winning the 2026 Mubadala DC Open
Eala’s unforgettable campaign culminated in a stunning 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 comeback victory over top seed Pegula in the rain-delayed final on Monday, August 3. It marked their second career meeting after the American dashed Eala’s hopes at the Miami Open last year, where the Filipina enjoyed a breakthrough run to the semifinals with impressive wins over Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek.
This time, Alexandra Eala refused to let Pegula get the better of her. After dropping the opening set on Sunday, Eala resumed the rain-delayed final on Monday with a 2-1 lead in the second set. She delivered a clinical and aggressive performance, winning 10 of the 13 games played after the restart to complete a remarkable comeback.
After handing the World No. 3 a bagel in the deciding set, Eala sank to the court in disbelief before making her way to the net to shake hands with her opponent. She then rushed to her player box to celebrate the career-defining triumph with her team.
She also made a video call to her loved ones, sharing the moment with them as she let her raw emotions pour out.
ALL ABOARD THE EALA EXPRESS 🔥
Alexandra Eala secures her first ever WTA Tour title!#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/uSpxYxWqO5
— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2026
Alex Eala was immediately on her phone after the win (presumably with her parents) and could be heard saying “oh my god, oh my god” over and over again. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/9WRCAuwmQT
— islandtennisgirl (@islandtennisace) August 3, 2026
During her runner-up speech, the 21-year-old said, “Before the final yesterday, actually, I got so many sweet messages from my family and from my friends who are on Tour or wherever else in the world, and I thought to myself, I feel so much love, so standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at the title, knowing it won’t be my last, and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would have happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me.”
This was Alexandra Eala’s second final on the WTA Tour. The Filipina came agonizingly close to winning the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open in 2025, producing four championship points against Maya Joint in the 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10) loss.
Meanwhile, before the main draw got underway in Washington, D.C., Eala opted out of competing in the doubles event alongside Venus Williams, despite the pair initially receiving a wildcard entry. “Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally, mentally when they’re on court with her. Right now, I think I can only do that for singles. I don’t have the capacity yet to be able to give that in both singles and doubles,” she said at the time.
MORE: Alexandra Eala and Jessica Pegula’s Prize Money After Mubadala DC Open 2026 Final
The decision certainly paid off as Eala staged a run for the ages, beating high-profile opponents such as Olympic medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, and third seed Naomi Osaka en route to her title victory against Jessica Pegula. Following the run, Eala has climbed to a new career high of World No. 20.
She is now expected to resume her campaign at the Canadian Open in Toronto, where she has a direct entry into the second round as a seeded player. She faces the winner of Alycia Parks vs. Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva.
