Philippines' Eala wins first WTA title in Washington rain-delayed final over Pegula

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines won her first WTA singles title at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington on Monday, defeating top seed Jessica Pegula of the U.S. 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a final delayed by rain. The match began Sunday but was suspended with Pegula leading 6-4, 1-2 before resuming the following day. Eala, 21, dominated the conclusion, winning 10 of the final 13 games to secure the title in the $1.64 million WTA 500 event. “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 after the match .
Pegula, the 2019 DC Open champion, had defeated Eala’s previous opponents Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka en route to the final. Eala’s victory makes her the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title .
In the men’s final, Taylor Fritz of the U.S. claimed his 11th ATP title by defeating 19-year-old Spanish player Rafael Jodar 7-6(2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 49 minutes. Fritz, ranked third in Washington, secured the decisive break in the second set after edging a tight first-set tiebreak .
The tournament concluded a rain-disrupted week in the U.S. capital, with both finals affected by weather delays. Eala’s win propels her into the top 20 of the WTA rankings for the first time . Pegula, who fell to Eala in the final, had previously beaten Magdalena Frech in the Washington semifinals; Frech lost to Pegula 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Toronto WTA 1000 event, where play began Monday .
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