Alexandra Eala claimed her first WTA singles title by beating world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the Washington Open final on August 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Eala won 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 after the match was suspended overnight due to rain and lightning, marking a historic win as the first Filipino to capture a WTA title [1, 2, 3].
The final started on August 2 but was delayed nearly three hours because of persistent bad weather. Pegula took the first set 6-4 and was leading 2-1 in the second when play was suspended. The match resumed the next day, with Eala dominating to win 10 of the last 13 games and close out the match [1, 4, 5].
At 21 years old, Eala rose to a career-high WTA ranking of No. 20 with the victory. The win extends her winning streak against top-10 players to five, including previous wins over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina twice, and Iga Swiatek. Eala said, "I feel so much love. My first chance at a title knowing it won't be the last and already having achieved this milestone for my career." She added, "I'm more well-rounded [now]. I'm physically a little bit better. I played really well, had a great mentality and stayed locked in until the end" [1, 2, 3].
Pegula, 32, who was seeking her third Washington Open title after wins in 2019 and 2021, congratulated Eala and praised her improvement. "To see how far you've come over the last couple of years… it's amazing," Pegula said. "I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament." Pegula had 11 career WTA titles before this loss [6, 2, 4].
Eala and Pegula met previously in the 2025 Miami Open semifinal, which Pegula won, making this a significant rematch victory for Eala [7, 4].
On the men's side, American Taylor Fritz won the Washington Open final over Rafael Jodar 7-6(2), 6-4, capturing his 11th ATP title [7, 5].
