Alex Eala’s ‘tricky’ game claims another Top 10 victim
MANILA, Philippines — Top seed Jessica Pegula is the latest player to fall to Alex Eala’s “tricky” game after the Filipino tennis star captured the 2026 Mubadala DC Open title.
After a strong start with a first-set win, Pegula couldn’t regain her momentum as Eala clawed her way back into contention before closing out with a statement bagel in the decider for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.
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“She’s a great ball striker, great player, great competitor. I think we’ve seen that over the last few years. I think this year it seems like maybe she’s finding some more consistency with her results,” Pegula said.
“She’s beaten quite a few top players this year, including myself, and she’s tricky to play against. She’s a lefty, she hits the ball well, she kind of baits you with her lefty serve.”
It wasn’t the first time Eala’s game had been described as a puzzle to solve.
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Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek also became wary of Eala’s “tricky” game ahead of their Wimbledon match last July, where the Filipino came out on top en route to the best Grand Slam finish of her career.
Swiatek was right. Since then, Eala has continued to trouble some of the world’s best players, adding Pegula to a growing list of Top 10 victims.
Against Pegula, the new world No. 20 won the last nine games of the match and surrendered only eight points in the third set.
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It capped an impressive week for Eala, who beat defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second-seeded Elina Svitolina and third-seeded Naomi Osaka—all in straight sets—before overcoming Pegula in the final.
The world No. 3 American knows those results are a product of Eala’s hard work, something she has occasionally seen firsthand.
“I think I’ve seen her in the gym a lot. I think she’s trying to work on getting stronger and moving a little bit better, and I think that’s stuff that’s probably just going to come with time,” Pegula said.
The two have built a friendship over the past year, and Pegula had nothing but praise for Eala and her Filipino supporters, who once again showed up in droves in Washington, D.C.
“I just think it’s so refreshing and nice to see how well she’s handled all of the kind of fandom and stardom that’s come with her being from the Philippines and how they’ve really embraced her,” Pegula said. “And it’s crazy how she deals with it every single week, which just shows her maturity as a player and a person.”
“I have a lot of respect for her and I like her a lot. I think she’s a really nice girl. And it’s cool to see what she’s brought to the women’s game.”