Jessica Pegula on important parts to Alexandra Eala’s success at age 21.
Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 3, 2026
Picture credit score: Mubadala DC Open Fb
In a uncommon Monday remaining of pure ball strikers, Alexandra Eala imposed the primary strike for the final phrase.
Then 21-year-old Eala erupted by means of eight straight video games dismissing Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 to seize her maiden Tour-level title on the Mubadala DC Open in the present day.
It’s a historic title run: Eala is the first participant from the Philippines to win a WTA title.
Filipina phenom Eala capped a profession breakthrough week that noticed her take out the highest three seeds—the top-seeded Pegula, second-seeded Elina Svitolina and third-seeded Naomi Osaka—in addition to defending-champion Leylah Fernandez and Olympic gold-medal champion Zheng Qinwen.
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Going through a number of the most harmful returners within the sport, Eala backed up her someday mid 70 mph second serve with cussed defiance. Pegula didn’t earn a break level after play resumed in in the present day’s remaining, which was suspended on Sunday afternoon with the world No. 3 main 6-4, 1-2. That serving effort got here after Eala received 9 of 10 second-serve factors within the opening set of her 6-4, 6-2 semifinal sweep of Osaka.
The 2024 US Open finalist Pegula stated the left-handed Eala is a tough opponent due to her ardour, pure shotmaking expertise and her disorientating down the road drives that may comply with quick second serves.
All through this title run, Eala generally dragged opponents off the courtroom with short-angled serves on the advert facet earlier than detonating her down the road forehand strike.
The mixture was as jarring as following a feather duster serving jab with a flame thrower forehand end.
“She’s difficult to play in opposition to,” Pegula stated. “She’s a lefty, she hits the ball nicely, she type of baits you along with her lefty serve. I’ve seen her within the fitness center so much.
“I feel she’s making an attempt to work on getting stronger and transferring a bit of bit higher, and I feel that’s stuff that’s in all probability simply going to come back with time.”
The 2022 US Open women’ champion Eala improved to 28-17 on the season scoring her fifth consecutive High 10 win. Pegula stated Eala’s excellent ball placing and cussed aggressive spirit are important parts to her success.
“Pay attention, she’s an awesome ball striker, nice participant, nice competitor. I feel now we have seen that over the previous couple of years,” Pegula stated. “She’s had good outcomes.
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“I feel this yr it looks as if she’s discovering extra consistency along with her outcomes. She’s crushed fairly a number of high gamers this yr, together with myself.”
Along with dynamic play, Eala has emerged as a charismatic competitor, who has drawn enthusiastic and vocal Filipino followers to her matches all over the world.
The Alex Military rivals the Fonseca Power, Brazilian followers who come out in vocal help of Joao Fonseca, as a fan drive in in the present day’s tennis.
In reality, in relation to pure ardour and vocal help for his or her participant, you’ll be able to argue the Alex Military has already outpaced different notable fan forces we’ve seen in recent times: the Genie Military, the Carota Boys, the Halepenos, the Netheads, the Samurais and the J-Block.
You’d in all probability have to return to Guga Gang, the festive crew of Brazilian followers who turned Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten matches into festive tennis carnivals banging on drums and singing in unison, to discover a fan base so keen about their participant that they’ll generally change into a collective refrain within the play.
“I simply suppose it’s so refreshing and good to see how nicely she’s dealt with all the type of fandom and stardom that’s come along with her being from the Philippines and the way they’ve actually embraced her,” Pegula stated. “It’s loopy how she offers with it each single week, which simply exhibits her maturity as a participant and as an individual.
“I’ve a variety of respect for her, and I like her so much. I feel she’s a very nice woman. Yeah, it’s cool to see what she’s dropped at the ladies’s sport, and yeah, she’s nice.”
Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He’s a graduate of New York College and has coated professional tennis for greater than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and labored as a author/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.
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