'Most exciting player' Eala shows 'Filipino heart' to make history
After making history in Washington, BBC Sport looks at Alexandra Eala's journey to her first title.
In a breathtaking final at the Washington Open, Alexandra Eala made history by becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA title. The 21-year-old overcame challenges, including weather delays and an early set loss, to defeat world number three Jessica Pegula in a thrilling match. Pegula expressed her admiration for Eala's performance, stating that it was the best Monday final crowd she had witnessed.
Former world number one Rafael Nadal, who mentored Eala at his academy, congratulated her, calling it a well-deserved title for her hard work. Despite her young age, Eala's journey to this point has been long, starting at the age of four. She trained daily after school, wearing her signature ruffled socks, light-up shoes, and chubby cheeks.
Nadal presented her diploma at her graduation from his academy in 2023. Eala's victory over Swiatek at the Miami Open in 2025 sparked renewed passion for the sport in the Philippines, with a growing fanbase of over 75,000 in Washington and four million across the US. Filipino fans, including former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and former British number one Greg Rusedski, hailed her as the most exciting player on the WTA Tour.
While she has much to improve, particularly her serve, US Open champion and former world number one Andy Roddick described her as the real deal, praising her fearless approach to top players.
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