Photo courtesy of WTA
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday congratulated Alex Eala after the Filipina tennis star became the first player from the Philippines to win a Women’s Tennis Association 500 singles title.
In a social media post, Marcos described Eala’s victory as another historic milestone, saying she continues to break barriers for Philippine tennis and inspire young Filipinos.
Eala claimed the Mubadala DC Open crown after rallying past world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the final on Monday, or early Tuesday in Manila.
The victory marked the biggest title of Eala’s career and her first WTA Tour singles championship. It also came months after her breakthrough semifinal run at the Miami Open, where she defeated multiple Grand Slam champions and Top 10 players.
Marcos said Eala continued to redefine what Filipinos could achieve in the sport and thanked her for bringing pride and honor to the country.
He added that the entire nation was celebrating the achievement, calling Eala’s latest victory an inspiration for young athletes to pursue their dreams without limits.
Eala’s title run in Washington included victories over five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, world No. 5 Madison Keys, world No. 8 Emma Navarro and Pegula, underscoring her emergence as one of the WTA Tour’s rising stars.
The 21-year-old is expected to climb to a career-high ranking following her breakthrough WTA 500 title, further cementing her place in Philippine tennis history.