The WTA final of the Washington Open will determine its champion between world number three Jessica Pegula and promising talent Alexandra Eala, but the conclusion has been delayed until Monday due to thunderstorms that interrupted play on Sunday.
Event Context
After enduring a three-hour delay due to thunderstorms, Pegula secured the first set 6-4 and was leading 2-1 in the second set of the championship match when rain returned. Play was suspended for over five hours because of unplayable conditions, ultimately leading officials to postpone resumption until Monday.
Additionally, the men’s final of the WTA and ATP 500-level hardcourt tournament was also delayed. Tenth-ranked American Taylor Fritz is scheduled to compete against 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar.
The women’s final will resume on Monday at noon local time, with the men’s final set to follow at 1 p.m. in Washington.
Pegula, who claimed her first WTA title in Washington back in 2019, is in pursuit of her 12th tour victory and her third this year after previous wins in Dubai and Charleston.
The 32-year-old top seed previously faced Eala in a semi-final match at the 2025 Miami Open, where she emerged victorious.
Eala, a rising star from the Philippines, has garnered significant support throughout the tournament and aims to capture her first WTA title in her second final, having lost in Eastbourne the previous year. The 21-year-old left-hander is poised to achieve a career-high ranking of 24th worldwide.
Eala’s impressive path to the final included wins against former world number one Naomi Osaka, second seed Elina Svitolina, and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.
During their match, Pegula took the lead by breaking Eala in the fifth game with a powerful forehand service return. However, Eala countered by breaking back at love to level at 3-3 with her own blistering backhand service return. Pegula managed to save two break points to hold serve at 4-4, then broke Eala again when she hit a forehand long, ultimately sealing the first set in 40 minutes when Eala sent a backhand out.
In the 53 minutes of play before the interruption, Pegula recorded 14 winners compared to Eala’s four, although both players tallied 20 unforced errors.
In the men’s final, Fritz is aiming for his 11th career ATP title and seeks to break a title drought since last year at Eastbourne.
Player Focus
The players were in the midst of serving and had just entered a changeover when the rain resumed.
Match Outlook
Jodar is set to achieve a personal best by reaching 15th place in next week’s rankings. He aims to secure his second ATP title after his victory in Morocco back in April.
