Alex Eala overcame a sluggish start and delivered a gritty, composed performance to capture her first-ever WTA 125 championship.
The 20-year-old Filipina tennis star rallied from a disastrous opening set to outlast Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and clinch the 2025 Guadalajara 125 Open crown early Sunday morning (Manila time).
The triumph marks another milestone for Eala, who secured her maiden title at a WTA-level tournament after falling just short in previous campaigns. Earlier this year, she reached the final of the Eastbourne Open, a WTA 250 event, but fell in a hard-fought three-setter to Maya Joint.
This time, there was no heartbreak—only celebration.
Battling Back from the Brink
Udvardy, 26, looked poised to repeat her victory over Eala from April in Portugal after dominating the first set and pushing the Filipina to a 5-5 deadlock in the second. But Eala broke serve in the 11th game, then survived a tense 12th game where she recovered from triple break point and eventually forced errors from the Hungarian to level the match.
Riding that momentum, Eala stormed to a 2-0 lead in the decider before Udvardy took a medical timeout. When play resumed, the Filipina stayed sharp, holding serve and fending off the Hungarian’s late push. With a commanding love hold and a decisive break in the ninth game, Eala sealed the historic victory after two hours and 30 minutes on court.
A Run to Remember
Seeded second in Guadalajara, Eala showed her versatility and resilience throughout the week. She breezed past Arianne Hartono (6-2, 6-2) in the round-of-32, battled past veteran Varvara Lepchenko (6-7, 7-6, 6-3) in the round-of-16, swept Nicole Fossa Huergo (7-6, 6-2) in the quarterfinals, and dominated Kayla Day (6-2, 6-3) in the semifinals before toppling Udvardy for the title.
Breakout Season for Philippine Tennis’ Brightest Star
The Guadalajara triumph caps a stellar 2025 campaign for Eala. She stunned the tennis world in March by reaching the semifinals of the Miami Open, defeating multiple Grand Slam champions, including former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. That run catapulted her into the WTA Top 100, opening doors to her main-draw debuts at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
In New York, she made even more history, becoming the first Filipino to win a singles match in a Grand Slam main draw after ousting 14th seed Clara Tauson in the first round.
With her breakthrough WTA 125 crown, Alex Eala continues to raise the Philippine flag on the global tennis stage, cementing her place as one of the brightest young stars in the sport.
