Tennis prodigy Alex Eala has etched her name in the history books after becoming the first Filipino to capture a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour singles title with a stunning victory at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joined the nation in celebrating the 21-year-old’s landmark win, taking to social media to applaud her historic achievement.
“Alex Eala does it again. The Philippines now has its first WTA 500 champion,” President Marcos posted.
“Congratulations on yet another historic achievement. You continue to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits,” he added.
“Kasama mo ang sambayanang Pilipino sa pagdiriwang ng panibagong tagumpay na ito. Mabuhay ka, Alex!”
The President, who previously hosted Eala at Malacañang Palace, highlighted how her performance expands the horizon for Philippine sports and serves as a beacon for aspiring young athletes across the country.
A Giant-Killing Championship Run
Eala’s path to her maiden WTA singles title and hard-court championship was nothing short of extraordinary. The rain-delayed final saw her pull off a sensational comeback against top seed and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, clinching the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Trailing 4-3 in the second set, Eala displayed remarkable resilience by sweeping the next nine consecutive games to close out the final.
Throughout her dominant run in Washington, Eala defeated a formidable lineup of opponents—including Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Pegula—with every rival holding status as a current Top 10 player or a former Grand Slam finalist.
Following her historic campaign, Eala jumped eight places in the global standings to achieve a career-high world No. 20, making her the first Filipino player ever to break into the WTA Top 20 rankings.