21-year-old tennis phenom makes history as 1st Filipina to win women's singles title
Twenty-one-year-old tennis phenom Alexandra Eala has made history, becoming the first Filipina woman to win a professional tennis singles title.
Eala came from behind to defeat American Jessica Pegula at the Mubadala DC Open on Monday in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-0), following a rain delay on Sunday night.
Eala thanked her Filipino supporters and community following her win.
"Standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing it won't be my last and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would've happened after this match, it would've already been a win for me," Eala said post-match. "Thank you everybody and I really look forward to seeing you guys again."
Pegula also gave a shoutout to Filipino fans after her loss.
"To all the Filipino fans that came out and have supported, you guys are helping grow tennis around the world, and I appreciate that, being a female athlete ... in tennis. We love to see that grow," she said.
In a statement to ABC News, Valerie Camillo, chair of the Women's Tennis Association, praised Eala's win and her impact on women's tennis.
"Alex Eala's first WTA title, at 21 years old, is only going to further ignite her growing fan base and impact on the sport," Camillo said. "She has unlocked a whole new nation and generation of fans, and this win is a powerful reminder of how global and exciting the future of women's tennis is."
Eala previously beat Naomi Osaka to reach the DC Open finals and face off against Pegula, the No. 3 seed, who was leading the match before rain paused the game.
Eala has been playing tennis since she was 4 and went pro in 2020, after training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain.
The 21-year-old comes from a family of athletes. Her mother Rizza Maniego-Eala is a former professional swimmer and her brother Michael Francis "Miko" Eala also played tennis for The Pennsylvania State University from 2020 to 2024.
