Eala makes history, becomes first Filipina to win WTA Tour title

Alexandra Eala etched her name in tennis history, becoming the first Filipino to capture a WTA Tour title by winning the Washington Open. The 21-year-old defeated world No. 12 Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a final that was postponed by nearly 24 hours due to rain.

Eala, a left-handed player, staged a remarkable comeback after losing the first set. She then dominated the subsequent sets, winning nine consecutive games to deny Pegula her 12th career title. The victory also propels Eala to a career-high ranking, projected to be world No. 20, after defeating notable players like Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, Leylah Fernandez, and Pegula.

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My feeling right now is just pure joy. Winning a WTA 500 tournament is something extraordinary and it's a huge achievement for me. At the start of this week, I didn't expect to be holding this trophy, not even at the start of the year. That's why I will always cherish moments like this.

"My feeling right now is just pure joy. Winning a WTA 500 tournament is something extraordinary and it's a huge achievement for me," Eala said. "At the start of this week, I didn't expect to be holding this trophy, not even at the start of the year. That's why I will always cherish moments like this."

Pegula acknowledged that the rain delay impacted her rhythm. "I feel like I played two different matches because today I just couldn't find my rhythm, whereas yesterday I was playing much better, and Eala played much better today than yesterday," she stated. Eala, however, expressed pride in her performance, noting the challenging draw and her ability to overcome obstacles throughout the week.

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I feel like I played two different matches because today I just couldn't find my rhythm, whereas yesterday I was playing much better, and Eala played much better today than yesterday.