Alexandra Eala won the Washington Open singles title by defeating top seed Jessica Pegula in a rain-interrupted final held on August 2 and concluded August 3, 2026, with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 [1, 2, 3]. The 21-year-old became the first Filipina to win a WTA tour-level singles title, marking a historic milestone for Philippine tennis.
Eala faced a tough path to the title, defeating top players including Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, last year's champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka en route [1, 2, 3]. She praised the difficulty of the competition, saying, "It was a very steep hill. Coming into the tournament, I knew that the competition was super strong and my draw was quite tough. Every match was a different set of obstacles. I'm really proud." [1]
The final attracted a large Filipino fan presence. Jessica Pegula praised the crowd, saying, "It's amazing that you guys showed up and again, to all the Filipino fans that came out, you are helping grow tennis around the world." She added, "I can definitely confirm this is the best Monday final crowd I've seen. I'm sure some people took off work. I won't tell them where you guys were." [1, 4]
Eala’s rise has drawn attention since her 2022 US Open junior title win [1, 2, 3]. She trained at Rafael Nadal's tennis academy, graduating in 2023, with Nadal congratulating her on social media: "A well-deserved title for all the hard work." [4]
In 2025, she reached the final at Eastbourne and in July 2026 advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon [1, 2, 3]. After the Washington Open win, her world ranking rose to number 20 [4].
Eala thanked those who supported her, saying, "It's an incredible milestone for me. At the beginning of the week, there's no way I'd have thought that I'd be holding this trophy. These things creep up on you, and I hold these moments really close to me." [1]
She will next compete at the Canadian Open before heading to the US Open, starting August 30, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
