Alex Eala recalls 'huge burst of emotions' after historic DC Open triumph

Alexandra "Alex" Eala's historic Mubadala DC Open title was a product of years of hard work and perseverance, making the moment all the more emotional for the Filipina tennis ace once victory was finally hers last early Tuesday (Philippine time).

Eala looked back on the closing moments of her historic triumph, which saw her blank top seed and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in Set 3 to complete a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the rain-delayed finals.

That win allowed the 21-year-old star to capture her maiden WTA Tour title and become the first Filipina to do so.

"I was so nervous and I kind of just blacked out. Everything just came rushing to me and I was really nervous before the last couple of points," Eala said in the post-match conference last Tuesday.

"And I was really trying to channel those nerves into hitting good balls and moving my feet. So yeah, a huge burst of emotions."

Once it sank in, Eala allowed herself to savor the moment to cap a remarkable title run that saw her take down five top-caliber opponents.

Eala opened her run with a comeback win against reigning Olympic and Asian Games champion Zheng Qinwen before turning back defending DC Open champion Leylah Fernandez in the Round of 16.

Eala faced even tougher challenges in the succeeding rounds, knocking off second seed Elina Svitolina and third seed Naomi Osaka to book the first WTA 500 final of her career.

READ MORE | Alex Eala wins DC Open: Tournament recap, results, and highlights

She got off to a slow start in the championship match and dropped the opening set to Pegula before heavy rain forced the final to be suspended. When play resumed the following day, however, Eala returned a different player, storming to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 comeback victory to capture the biggest title of her career.

In doing so, the Filipina also denied Pegula a second DC Open crown after the American won her maiden WTA singles title at the same tournament in 2019.

"Well, yeah, and I've said this a lot, but first and foremost, it's an achievement for myself. It's a personal achievement. I've worked really hard. And oh my gosh, winning a 500 is insane. It's an incredible milestone for me," she added.

"Oh my gosh, I'm over the moon. I'm super happy taking it all in right now and yeah, just pure happiness."

Eala, however, will be quick to put these emotions aside as she is set to compete in her next tournament right away this week.

The world No. 20 had earned a first-round bye and is the 25th seed in the WTA1000 Canadian Open, setting up a rematch with Alycia Parks in the second round where she has a chance to avenge her previous loss to the American star.

The Filipina ace fell to Parks in the first round of the Australian Open last January.

"I think each match I kept improving and kept learning things about myself. So it definitely gives me a lot of confidence and it's just really nice to see all the things that I've been working on off court or during training being implemented in matches."

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA News