Breakout star Alexandra Eala continues rise with first WTA title at DC Open

Filipino sensation beats Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0

>21-year-old has five straight wins over top-10 players

>Alexandra Eala dismantled top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 after the weather-hit ⁠DC Open final in Washington resumed on Monday, completing a remarkable comeback to become the first player from the Philippines to win a ⁠WTA ​Tour-level singles title.

>The 21-year-old resumed play on Monday trailing by a set but leading 2-1 in the second ⁠after Sunday’s final started nearly three hours late and was later suspended overnight because of persistent rain.

>“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,” Eala said on court. “I knew whatever happened after this match ‌would have already been a win for me.”

>Pegula, chasing a third Washington title after lifting the trophy in 2019 and 2021, was unable to stop the momentum swinging decisively in Eala’s favor.

>The Filipina won 10 of the 13 games played after the restart, securing the second ‌set before racing through the decider behind a dominant left-handed serve and fearless baseline hitting that drew increasingly vocal ​support from a partisan crowd despite Pegula playing on home soil.

>“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” Pegula, the world No 3, said.

>“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we ⁠first played, 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.“

>The victory extended Eala’s ​winning streak ‌against top-10 opponents ​to five matches ​following victories over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, twice, and Iga Świątek.

>The breakthrough title will propel Eala to a career-high world No 20 when the new WTA rankings are released.