Jessica Pegula recently faced heartbreak as she went down against Alex Eala in the finals of the Mubadala DC Open. However, the American turned her loss in Washington into massive profit as she pulled in thousands of new subscribers for her podcast.
Pegula enjoyed a strong start to her battle against Eala on Sunday, August 2. The home player clinched a dominant 6-4 win in the first set, but the match was then delayed due to rain. When the two players returned to the court on Monday, momentum had shifted, and Eala eventually won the remaining two sets 6-4, 6-0 with her loyal Filipino fans raising the roof as she stormed to the biggest title of her career.
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Reflecting on her loss and the keen Filipino following Eala has drawn into tennis, Jessica Pegula admitted that she saw a massive boost in the subscriber count for her podcast after her Washington final, telling media in Toronto,
“Filipino fans are insane. We definitely got like 4,000 or 5,000 more subscribers after that match. Even when I was leaving the stadium, they were cheering for me. They’re just excited to be there. I’m glad that they like to listen and follow, and I think that’s really neat that it’s crossed over.”
Pegula co-hosts the podcast ‘The Player’s Box’ alongside fellow WTA Tennis players Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk. The quartet often discuss the behind-the-scenes details of the professional tennis player’s life, and Eala had previously appeared as a guest on the show.
Jessica Pegula reflects on Alex Eala’s improvement
For Jessica Pegula and Alex Eala, their clash in Washington marked the duo’s second encounter. The two WTA stars had previously competed at the Miami Open in 2025, where Pegula defeated Eala in the semifinals and put an end to the latter’s giant-slaying run.
In Washington, Eala had her revenge, and Pegula recently reflected on the improvements in the young Filipino’s game, telling media,
“Miami obviously everything was new and she was, I think, playing with a lot of energy and adrenaline, where now obviously having established herself on tour as you know a top player, having a lot of big wins to follow that tournament up, I think you learn how to manage your emotions a little bit better throughout a tournament. So, she did a really great job of that and was able to really come out and play some great tennis, especially after the delay.”
Jessica Pegula and Alex Eala are currently in action at the 2026 National Bank Open. The American kicked off her campaign at the event with a win over Magdalena Frech, while Eala takes on Alycia Parks for her opening round match.
Edited by Riddhi Acharya