By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
“Alex Eala does it again. The Philippines now has its first WTA 500 champion.”
These two sentences effectively captured the spirit of the twin victories earned by Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala at the conclusion of the Mubadala D.C. Open on Tuesday (Philippine time).
Eala earned the trophy after beating her opponent, world no. 3 and No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula [4-6, 6-4, 6-0] in the final match held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
Earlier, she also bested No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina; No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka; No. 7 seed and defending champion Leylah Fernandez; and 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen on her way to the final.
The World No. 20 said in a statement, “Standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at the title, knowing it won’t be my last, and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career.”
Also keeping tabs on the tournament is President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who immediately extended a heartfelt message of appreciation to the young athlete who continues to represent the Philippines on the global stage.
The President said in his social media post, “Kasama mo ang sambayanang Pilipino sa pagdiriwang ng panibagong tagumpay na ito. Mabuhay ka, Alex!”
Eala’s WTA 500 Title is no small feat, marking a historic first for a Filipino to earn one of the most prestigious achievements in tennis.
Her victory at the Mubadala D.C. Open means she is now tied with Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina with seven Top 10 victories this season, while also serving as her third pro title overall.
Earlier, the Filipina tennis ace captured her first two major WTA 125 singles titles at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico and the Birmingham Open in England, respectively.
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