Tennis: Philippines’ Eala wins first WTA title, Fritz claims DC crown

Alex Eala rallies past top seed Jessica Pegula in a two-day, rain-hit final, while Taylor Fritz beats teen Rafael Jodar.Published On 3 Aug 20263 Aug 2026Alexandra Eala made history as the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour-level singles title, defeating top seed Jessica Pegula at the Mubadala DC Open before Taylor Fritz claimed the men’s crown.The 21-year-old Eala rallied to beat world number three Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a weather-disrupted women’s final that spanned two days, ending on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Women’s tennis players must take one-time gene test for eligibilitylist 2 of 3Djokovic wins five-hour epic to earn Sinner showdown at Wimbledonlist 3 of 3Who is Zeynep Sonmez, Wimbledon star with a ‘Palestine’ watermelon racket?end of listRain had suspended play on Sunday with Pegula leading by a set but trailing 2-1 in the second. Upon Monday’s resumption, Eala dominated, winning 10 of the final 13 games with aggressive baseline play and a formidable serve to seal her breakthrough victory.“I feel so much love. My first chance at a title, knowing it won’t be the last, and already having achieved this milestone for my career,” Eal...