Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra Eala broke into the Top 25 of the WTA live rankings for the first time, surging to a career-high No. 24 after reaching the Mubadala DC Open final in Washington, D.C.
Eala entered the WTA 500 tournament officially ranked No. 28. Her run added a net 265 points in live calculations, raising her total to 1,931. The WTA’s published rankings still list her at No. 28.
The 21-year-old built the breakthrough through four demanding victories. She rallied past Zheng Qinwen, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, then eliminated defending champion Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6(1). Eala followed with a 6-3, 6-4 win over world No. 10 Elina Svitolina before defeating former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2.
The Osaka victory sent Eala into her first WTA 500 final and the second tour-level singles final of her career after Eastbourne in 2025.
“So to be in the final really means a lot to me,” Eala said.
A title could lift her as high as No. 20 in the WTA live rankings and give her a first WTA Tour singles championship.
World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, Alex Eala’s opponent in the Washington Open final, took the opening set of their title match, 6-4. Pegula previously defeated the Filipina in three sets during the 2025 Miami Open semifinals.
Eala responded with two service holds to build a 2-1 lead in the second set, winning all seven points on her first serve during that stretch.
Play was suspended after 55 minutes because of rain. The championship match had already been delayed by nearly three hours due to thunderstorms.
Pegula leads 6-4, 1-2, with play scheduled to resume at midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 4 (Philippine time).
