Philippines’ Alexandra Eala. —KEATS LONDON
MANILA, Philippines — The legend of Alex Eala continues to grow as she finally captured her maiden Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title.
Recovering from a first-set rout, Eala never wavered against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy to complete an epic comeback, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and rule the Guadalajara 125 Open early Sunday (Philippine time) at Grandstand Caliente in Mexico.
READ: Alex Eala wins twice in a day to reach Guadalajara 125 Open semis
The 20-year-old Filipino tennis ace showed nerves of steel, surviving extended games in the second set to drag Udvardy into a decider before pulling away in the third.
Up 4-2, Eala momentarily stumbled when her forehand was called out in the seventh game, but she regrouped and closed out the last two games to become the first Filipino to win a WTA championship.
The World No. 75 Eala bounced back in the second set with a 4-1 start en route to a commanding 5-3 lead, but the World No. 134 from Hungary managed to rally to tie it at 5-all. She then dug deep in the last two games, erasing 15-40 and 0-40 deficits to force a decider.
READ: ‘Ambitious’ Alex Eala proves ‘anything is possible’ at US Open
She needed to overcome a lethargic start, as she was dominated in the first three games before scoring in the fourth game. Udvardy quickly regained control, however, to take the first set in dominating fashion.
Eala’s breakthrough triumph capped an already stellar season highlighted by her dream run at the Miami Open and her runner-up finish in the Lexus Eastbourne Open last June, where she fell to Maya Joint in three sets.
The Guadalajara title was added to her growing collection, which includes five International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles titles and the 2022 US Open girls’ trophy.
READ: Alex Eala’s next test after breakthrough US Open run
The last time she held a trophy was July 2024, when she won the singles and doubles in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.
Eala has since been playing in bigger tournaments, with three Grand Slam main draw appearances — the most recent her historic first-round win in the 2025 US Open.
Her title run came after a grueling stretch, including a 6-2, 6-3 semifinal win over American Kayla Day. On Friday, she survived two matches in one day: a rain-delayed Round of 16 comeback over Varvara Lepchenko, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3, and a 7-6 (2), 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Italy’s Nicole Fossa Huergo.
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Eala could win another title in Brazil for the Sao Paulo Open from September 8 to 14.
