Rafael Nadal congratulated Alexandra Eala after the Filipina captured the first WTA Tour title of her career with a stunning comeback victory at the 2026 Washington Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion, whose academy in Mallorca helped shape Eala’s development from the age of 13, celebrated the 21-year-old’s historic achievement on social media following her 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over world number three Jessica Pegula in the final.
“Congratulations, Eala! What an incredible week in Washington! A well-deserved trophy for all your hard work. Congratulations as well to the Philippines and the entire Rafa Nadal Academy team!” Nadal wrote.
Eala graduated from the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2023 and has maintained a close relationship with the Spanish great, who has repeatedly acknowledged her progress throughout her professional career.
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The title win marked another milestone in Eala’s rapid rise, making her the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour-level singles title.
It also capped a memorable week in Washington, where she defeated Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, world number 10 Elina Svitolina and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka before overcoming Pegula in the rain-delayed final.
The latest triumph continued her breakthrough season that included winning the WTA 125 Birmingham Open, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and climbing to a career-high 20th in the world.
Eala will next continue her North American hard-court swing at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open before taking on the US Open challenge, where she is entered in the women’s singles and will partner Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the revamped mixed doubles event.
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