MANILA, Philippines — The legend begins.
Alex Eala turned a two-day wait into a lifetime milestone.
Eala made history as the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour-level singles title, rallying to beat world No. 3 and top seed Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the weather-disrupted final of the Mubadala DC Open yesterday.
It was a breakthrough fashioned the hard way.
Rain had suspended play on Monday with Pegula having taken the first set but trailing 2-1 in the second. Upon resumption the following day, Eala came out a different player – aggressive from the baseline, solid on serve – dominating the American the rest of the way, winning 10 of the final 13 games to seal her breakthrough victory.
“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,” said Eala after lifting the trophy in front of a boisterous contingent of Filipino supporters. “I knew whatever happened after this match would have already been a win for me.”
Pegula, who won the DC Open in 2019, paid tribute to the young Filipina’s remarkable campaign.
“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years... to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against, but I think it’s amazing,” Pegula told Eala during the trophy presentation.
More than just her first-ever WTA Tour title, Eala’s conquest in Washington meant greater heights for Philippine tennis.
From No. 28 last week, the 21-year-old Rafael Nadal Academy product skyrocketed to a new career-best World No. 20 with 500 additional points. She pocketed $252,000 (around P15.4 million) for the championship.
And she’s not done yet.
In a quick turnaround, Eala hopes to carry the momentum to the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada – a WTA 1000 event where a bigger mountain looms starting today.
Eala, seeded No. 25 in the stacked 128-player field with a first-round bye, will face a familiar foe in qualifier Alycia Parks of the United States in the Round of 64.
The Pinay ace has unfinished business against World No. 71 Parks – a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Andorra’s Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (World No. 122) in the first round – after absorbing a 6-0, 3-6, 2-6 defeat in Round 1 of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Eala had no idea she would churn out a fairytale ride in DC.
“At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. These things kind of creep up on you, and I hold these moments really close to me,” said Eala, who previously won two challenger-level tournaments in Guadalajara and Birmingham, both 125s not considered part of the WTA Tour level (250s, 500s, 1000s).
But Eala did, taking down Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, reigning DC champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, then Elina Svitolina, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and finally Pegula in a great run.
“That 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 just a different set of obstacles. So, I’m really, really proud. I think I encountered my fair share of obstacles this week,” she added.
Just last month, Eala was already on cloud nine after reaching a historic Round of 16 at Wimbledon on top of becoming the first Filipino seeded player in any Grand Slam main draw.
In the first tournament alone of the hardcourt swing leading to the US Open on Aug. 30 to Sept. 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York, she has treaded uncharted territories.
And her legend has begun. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Kate Judson