Alex Eala: Filipino dreamer to WTA winner

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala’s quest for a breakthrough WTA Tour title that began in Mallorca, Spain as a wide-eyed 13-year-old with lofty dreams ended in Washington on Tuesday.

Eala’s crowning moment came in her typical fashion-a comeback win over a top-caliber player. This time, she overpowered American world number three Jessica Pegula after dropping the opening set.

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After Pegula’s backhand went wide, Eala collapsed to the court on her knees and was overcome with emotions.

Letting it all out ❤️🔥#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/Z720b9PedN

— Mubadala DC Open (@mubadaladcopen) August 3, 2026

“Oh my gosh, I’m over the moon. I’m super happy taking it all in right now,” said Eala, who denied Pegula a second crown in DC, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in a rare Monday final for her seventh victory over a top 10 player this season.

“At the beginning of the week, there’s no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. And even at the beginning of the year, like, it’s just these things kind of creep up on you. And yeah, I hold these moments really close to me,” added Eala, who climbed four spots to a new career-high ranking of World No. 20.

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Eala faced a “very steep” climb to the top in DC being drawn in the same bracket as the top three seeds in Pegula, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka as well as Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.

But known for her knack to flourish against fancied competition, the tough draw was fitting for the tour’s giant slayer.

Eala started slow, rallying past Zheng in the opening round before authoring a bigger comeback, rising from a 1-5 deficit in the second set to dethrone Fernandez. Eala came for the tournament heavyweights next, knocking out second seed Svitolina in the quarterfinal and four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka in the semifinal via sweeps to arrange a championship match with Pegula.

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“It was a very steep hill. And 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, you know? So, I’m really, really proud. I think I encountered my fair share of obstacles this week,” said Eala, who celebrated her triumph with a throng of Filipino supporters at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.

Miami breakthrough

It was an arduous journey to glory that reached its turning point in Miami more than a year ago.

Eala received a wild card entry to the Miami Open main draw as a 19-year-old rising star with meager expectations surrounding her.

Armed with unwavering belief, Eala, who was ranked 140th at that time, defied tremendous odds and took down one Grand Slam champion after another.

Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko was the first big name to fall, followed by home bet Madison Keys and then-World No. 2 Iga Swiatek all in straight sets.

The dream run ended in a thrilling semifinal duel against Pegula. But despite the loss, it was clear that it was just the beginning for Eala, who had catapulted to World No. 75 following her breakout performance in Miami.

Cracking the WTA top 100 opened the door to much bigger opportunities, with Eala securing outright main draw berths in Grand Slam tournaments.

Six months after her magical Miami run, Eala won her maiden WTA singles title at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico before adding a second challenger series win in the Birmingham Classic by turning back up-and-coming Czech Nikola Bartunkova in the final. It was Eala’s first time beating a Czech player in 14 tries since turning pro in 2020.

Eastbourne heartbreak

But her success didn’t come without struggles and setbacks.

Less than three months before her triumph in Guadalajara, Eala suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia’s Maya Joint in the Eastbourne Open final in England.

The match saw Eala squander four consecutive championship points in a dramatic final-set tiebreak. Eala would later say that the outcome was “one of the toughest losses” of her career.

“I think it showed how difficult that was for me in the post-match interviews and my immediate reactions,” she said during a press conference in Makati last July.

“But I’m able to look back at that match with a smile now, and I can laugh. I’m proud of that whole week. I’m proud of myself that I was able to turn that experience into a fond memory.”

That same experience helped shape Eala to be the kind of player that she is now: Better and more equipped to deal with adversities, just like when she rallied from a set down to get back at Joint in their Wimbledon second-round clash last month.

Wimbledon and ‘chubby cheeks’

It was also at the All-England Club, where Eala made more history for the Philippines by becoming the first Filipino to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament before losing to Jasmine Paolini in three sets.

Eala highlighted her historic Wimbledon stint with a stunning third-round victory to unseat defending champion Swiatek, 7-6(9), 6-2, which led to her emotional and inspiring post-match interview.

"With my ruffled socks, light-up trainers and chubby cheeks!"

Alexandra Eala’s post-match interview is everything 🫶 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/pEOTRfmOPB

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2026

“This might seem small to someone like Iga, or Serena, or Venus, who have won many Grand Slams, but for someone who grew up in the Philippines… I went to train with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and shoes and my chubby cheeks. To her, this is everything,” said the Filipino trailblazer, struggling to hold back her tears.

“It’s incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and knowing that we’re all in this together… This goes out to them. This goes out to my family. This goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks. It means the world,” added Eala, who started playing tennis at four years old with her grandfather, Roberto Maniego, as her first coach before enrolling at Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain when she was 13.

What’s next?

Eala won’t have much time to celebrate the biggest win of her career as she is already scheduled to face American Alycia Parks in the round of 64 of the Canadian Open, also known as the National Bank Open, in Toronto.

Eala, who drew a first-round bye, is seeded 25th in the WTA 1000 hard court event. She made her debut in the tournament last year and crashed out in the first round.

From Toronto, Eala heads to New York for the main draw of the US Open slated later this month.

Apart from competing in singles, Eala is also teaming up with Canadian World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime in a star-studded mixed doubles event that also features the duo of top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.