Alex Eala is 'Learning to Handle' Historic WTA Title Win

Alex Eala is enjoying a very good summer. After knocking out back-to-back top-10 players en route to the Berlin Open semifinals, the Filipina sensation secured a seed at a slam for the first time at Wimbledon.

There, she knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek to reach her maiden second-week appearance at a major.

At her next tournament, the Mubadala DC Open, the 21-year-old went all the way. Eala defeated World No. 3 Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a rain-suspended championship, capping a maiden title run that included wins over the No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds.

Eala Reflects on Maiden WTA Title Win in DC

During her pre-tournament press conference at the National Bank Open in Toronto, the World No. 20 spoke about her latest milestone victory.

"This recent milestone in DC, my first championship, it's been a crazy 24 hours," she said. "My mind's just been going back and forth between focusing on the next match and, 'Wow, did I really just do that?'"

"It's a first for me, so I'm learning how to handle it. But I'm playing another match tomorrow, so all my attention is going to be on that. I have a day to transition. I have, I guess, all my life to celebrate my first WTA title."

"I don't really like to put kind of a cap on what I'm able to do," she continued. "I think my primary goal is to play good matches, and at a good level. I think the more I'm able to do that consistently, the more rewarding it is for me. This week and the past summer has been really good in terms of that."

Eala Set for Sellout Toronto Debut

Eala will make her Toronto debut on Wednesday against 71st-ranked Alycia Parks. Parks defeated Eala 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 in their sole previous meeting at the 2026 Australian Open first round.

Eala was a heavy crowd favorite in Melbourne and is expected to have a large Filipino supporter base when she competes at Sobey’s Stadium tomorrow in front of a sold-out night session crowd.

"I've been told that it's going to be a full house tomorrow, so I'm really very excited to see and experience the atmosphere," Eala said. "It's nice to see that the Filipino community is really showing up and they're enjoying tennis. Hopefully, it will help grow the sport as well."

Eala Reunites with Venus for Doubles

Eala is pulling double-duty in Canada, teaming up with seven-time major champion Venus Williams in doubles. Eala and Williams will face Liudmila Samsonova and Miyu Kato on Thursday.

The pair previously teamed up at the Bad Homburg Open and received a wildcard into the DC Open. However, Eala withdrew before the doubles draw was released, opting to prioritize singles.

Eala said she is "excited" to take the court with Williams again. "Every opportunity I get to share the court with her is super cherished," she told reporters. "I think she's got a great mentality, and there's so much I can learn from her. I think with the Filipino community and, of course, the amazing fans that she has, I think it will be a great atmosphere."

The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers runs from August 2-16. The alternating host lands the WTA tournament in Toronto this year, with the ATP tournament taking place in Montreal. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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