MANILA, Philippines — Sports legends Manny Pacquiao and Rafa Nadal congratulated Alex Eala after she won her first WTA Tour-level title at the 500 Mubadala D.C. Open in Washington early Tuesday.
World No. 20 Eala defeated No. 3 and tournament top seed Jessica Pegula in the rain-delayed final, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Pacquiao, the world's only 8-division boxing champ and Eala's fellow Filipino sports star, emphasized Eala's resiliency.
"Down in the first round but you bounced back," wrote Pacquiao in his social media pages.
"'Yan ang puso ng Pilipino (that's the Filipino heart)! Congrats Alex Eala, our new champion!"
Eala's fellow netter and 22-time Grand Slam champ Nadal said it's a well-deserved title for Eala, who graduated as a scholar at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain.
The Spanish legend occasionally coached and mentored Eala especially when she was at the Academy.
"Congratulations Alex Eala! What an incredible week in Washington! A well-deserved title for all the hard work," wrote Nadal in an X post.
"Congratulations to the Philippines and to the entire Rafa Nadal Academy team!"
The 21-year-old Eala will next compete at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada, from August 1 to 13.
Seeded No. 25 with a first-round bye, Eala faces American Alycia Parks in the round of 64 either Wednesday or Thursday.
