Alexandra Eala of the Philippines poses with the Championship Trophy after winning the women's singles championship match against Jessica Pegula of the United States on the final day of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. Scott Taetsch, Getty Images/AFP
The clock showed that it took Alex Eala an hour and 45 minutes to complete her stunning victory over Jessica Pegula in the final of the Mubadala DC Open.
READ: Alex Eala turns back Pegula, makes history with DC Open title
In reality, the match took place over the course of two days, with inclement weather in Washington DC forcing lengthy delays.
The start of the women's singles final was delayed by three hours due to a thunderstorm. When it finally got going, Pegula -- the tournament's No. 1 seed -- would draw first blood, taking the opener before Eala battled to a 2-1 lead in the second set.
At that point, the skies opened up again, sending both players back to the locker rooms. Five hours later, organizers called off the match and rescheduled it for the next day.
"Monday finals are very rare in DC," Mubadala DC Open owner Mark Ein would note after the final.
Eala rose to the occasion on Monday (early Tuesday in Manila), breaking Pegula in the tenth game of the second set to force a decider.
She was unstoppable in the third set, dropping just eight points against the world No. 3. Her serve — often seen as a point of improvement in her skill set — was solid, and she was aggressive in going for her shots.
Pegula had few answers, and the American compounded her woes with a litany of unforced errors — eventually committing 50 of them.
Her last miscue — a backhand that went wide — completed Eala's 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 triumph on a rare Monday final and sent the center court audience into elation.
"Talking to people who spend their life on the tennis tour, they said this might be the greatest crowd for a Monday final anyone's ever seen," said Ein.
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Both Eala and Pegula afterward took note of the effort needed to extend the tournament for another day, praising the organizers for getting the job done.
"Moving the final to Monday was no easy feat, but super memorable, so congratulations on a great tournament," said Eala.
"I know it was not an easy feat to move this final to a Monday final. Unfortunately, the weather yesterday was not very good to us, but thank you guys so much for being here for an extra day, for putting this event for an extra day, for working an extra day," Pegula said, for her part.
"I'm sure hopefully you're getting paid a little overtime for that, but everyone was here bright and early this morning, ready to go," she also quipped, to laughter from the fans in the venue.
"I know that it was not easy and it was a hard decision, but thank you guys for doing what was best for the players yesterday," Pegula added.
For Eala, who is now expected to rise to No. 20 in the world, the rain delay made the victory all the more unforgettable.
She had come close to a maiden tour title last year in Eastbourne, but that run ended in heartbreak as she failed to convert four championship points and instead lost to Maya Joint in a three-set epic.
This time around, Eala would not be denied.
"Before the final yesterday, I got so many messages, sweet messages from my family and my friends who are on tour, wherever else in the world. I thought to myself, I feel so much love," Eala told the crowd after her victory.
"So standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing that it won't be my last, and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would have happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me," she added.
"I really look forward to seeing you guys again."