Alex Eala, the 20-year-old tennis sensation from the Philippines, clinched her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title on Sunday, defeating Hungary’s Panna Udvardy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a thrilling final at the Guadalajara 125 Open. The hardcourt showdown at the Panamerican Tennis Center marked a breakthrough moment for the world No. 75, who battled back from a shaky start to secure the historic victory.
Eala’s path to the title was no easy feat. She powered through a tough field, starting with a 6-2, 6-2 rout of Dutch player Arianne Hartono in the first round. She then outlasted American Varvara Lepchenko in a grueling 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3 second-round match. In the quarterfinals, Eala dispatched Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo 7-6 (2), 6-2, before dominating American Kayla Day 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Udvardy, ranked No. 134, proved a formidable opponent. The Hungarian had her own impressive run, defeating Mexican Jessica Hinojosa Gomez 6-3, 6-2 in the first round, Czech Nikola Bartnkova 7-6, 6-2 in the second, British fourth seed Francesca Jones 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, and Russian Maria Kozyreva 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals. Despite taking the first set convincingly, Udvardy couldn’t withstand Eala’s resilience in the nearly two-hour match.
Eala’s triumph in Guadalajara caps a remarkable year for the young star, who debuted on the WTA Tour in 2021. Earlier this year, she turned heads at the 2025 Miami Open, upsetting Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, Madison Keys of the United States, and Poland’s Iga Swiatek to reach the semifinals, where she fell to American Jessica Pegula in a tight 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-6 contest. In June, Eala reached her first WTA final at the Lexus Eastbourne Open, narrowly losing to Australian Maya Joint 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10).
Last month, Eala made history at the US Open as the first Filipino to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam, edging out world No. 14 Carla Tauson of Denmark 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) in a first-round thriller. Her run ended in the second round with a 4-6, 3-6 loss to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
A graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, Eala has long been a rising star. Her 2022 US Open junior girls’ singles title foreshadowed her potential, and Sunday’s victory solidifies her as a force on the professional circuit. With her first WTA title now in hand, Eala is poised to climb higher in the rankings and continue making history for Philippine tennis.
