Alex Eala made history on Monday after capturing her first WTA Tour singles title at the 2026 Mubadala DC in Washington, USA, thanking Filipino fans around the world for supporting her remarkable championship run.

The victory moves the 21-year-old from world No. 28 to a career-high world No. 20 in the WTA rankings, solidifying her status as the highest-ranked Filipina player in professional tennis history. This milestone builds on a season of groundbreaking achievements, echoed in "For the Little Girls": How Alex Eala is making tennis history at Wimbledon, showing her steady ascent among the world's elite players. The championship match was originally scheduled for Sunday but was delayed to Monday (Tuesday in PH) because of rain.

The championship match was originally scheduled for Sunday but was delayed to Monday (Tuesday in PH) because of rain. When play resumed, Eala won six straight games in the final set to secure the match. The win also marked her first victory over Pegula since losing to her in the semifinals of last year's Miami Open.

To win the tournament, Eala defeated several top-ranked opponents. She beat defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the second round, world No. 10 Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the semifinals before facing Pegula in the final.

From the $1,637,982 total tournament prize fund, Eala earned the winner's payout of $252,000, while Pegula took home $155,000 as the runner-up. Semifinalists Osaka and Diana Shnaider received $90,900 each, while quarterfinalists Svitolina, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Liudmila Samsonova, and Anna Kalinskaya earned $47,750 each.

During the trophy ceremony, Eala praised her opponent.

“Oh my gosh, where do I start? First and foremost, congratulations, Jessie, for an amazing week and an amazing season,” Eala said. “It's always a pleasure to share the court with you. I definitely learned so, so much... especially from your forehand lines and your backhand crosses. I’m really looking forward to hopefully many more finals with you.”

Eala also thanked her family and training crew: “At the top of that list is my family—my mom, my dad, my brother—and my team: Joan, Hugh, and Sandro. They're my inner circle. They're the ones putting in the work every day with me, who make me feel like I'm not enduring alone or putting in the hard work alone.”

She added appreciation for tournament director Mark Ein, title sponsor Mubadala, and the medical staff for handling the rain delay.

Eala then addressed her supporters at home and abroad.

“To all my supporters, thank you guys—especially the Filipino community here in DC, back home, and wherever you are in the world! I really feel all the love. Maraming, maraming salamat, mga kababayan, maraming salamat!”

Reflecting on the delayed final match, she added: “Before the final yesterday, I got so many sweet messages. I thought to myself: I feel so much love. Standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at the title, knowing it won't be my last—I knew whatever happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me.”

With her new Top-20 ranking and her first WTA trophy, Eala returns to the tour with a major career achievement. (Dave Achondo, Editorial Assistant)