Alex Eala at the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.–Photo from Rafael Academy
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala pulled off a twin title campaign in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz after earning her fifth International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles crown on Sunday evening (Manila time) in Spain.
Just a day after ruling the doubles tournament, Eala added another one following a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra in the singles final.
Celebrating a pair of championships in one ITF event marks the first time in Eala’s career.
READ: Alex Eala aims to add singles title to doubles crown at Vitoria-Gasteiz
Her hectic schedule didn’t stop the Filipino tennis from making history as she captured her first $100,000 tournament triumph by staving off Kasinteva in a thrilling one-hour and 34-minute match.
The 19-year-old star blew a 5-1 lead in the first set as her younger opponent, 18, pulled within a game. But Eala was quick to restore order.
The Andorran forced a toe-to-toe duel in the second set, keeping the Filipino tied at 4-4 but Eala won a break point en route to her historic victory.
It was Eala’s first ITF singles title since August 2023 when she ruled the W25 Roehampton and her fifth championship in eight final appearances.
READ: Alex Eala nears doubles crown, makes W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz final
Less than 24 hours ago, Eala and her French partner Estelle Cascino withstood a tough challenge from Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, to rule the Vitoria-Gasteiz doubles.
Eala and Cascino won their second championship together since ruling the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg in France last March.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, who earned her career-high Women’s Tennis Association of No. 155, has four doubles titles in the ITF.
Eala’s first singles title this year started with a 6-4. 6-2 win over Lian Tran and a 7-5, 7-5 conquest over Lucia Cortez Llorca, before eliminating Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtsewa in the quarterfinal with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory.
Moments before her doubles championship game, Eala dominated Mexico’s Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez in the singles semifinal, 6-2, 6-1.