Alexandra Eala felt the Washington Open final "would've been a win" no matter the result due to the support she received before the showpiece.

The 21-year-old became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA-level title in the Open Era after defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.

Pegula won the first set on Sunday before bad weather saw the final finished on Monday, when Eala won 4-6 6-4 6-0 against the world number three.

Following the victory, Eala now has the joint-most wins over WTA top 10 players this year (seven – joint with Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina).

And after lifting the trophy, Eala made sure to show her appreciation for the support she received throughout the tournament and before the final.

"To all my supporters, thank you guys. Especially the Filipino community. Here in DC and back home, whatever you are in the world. I really feel all the love," said Eala.

1 - Alexandra Eala is the first player from Philippines to win a WTA-level title in the Open Era. Champion. @WTA @mubadaladcopen pic.twitter.com/B43AyyuLqQ

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) August 3, 2026

"Before the final yesterday, I got so many sweet messages from my family and my friends. I thought to myself, I feel so much love.

"Standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing it won’t be my last. Already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would’ve happened after this match, it would’ve already been a win for me.

"At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. These things kind of creep up on you, and I hold these moments really close to me.

"I think I ended the tournament in better shape than I started. 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 have been working on off court or during training being implemented in matches."