Rain disrupts Alex Eala's Washington Open finals match with Jessica Pegula

WASHINGTON — Rain and persistent thunderstorms disrupted the Mubadala DC Open on Sunday (August 2, 2026), suspending the women’s singles final between world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and 21-year-old Filipina star Alexandra “Alex” Eala with the match in the second set.

After enduring a three-hour weather delay before taking Stadium Court, top-seeded American Pegula claimed the opening set 6-4. 

However, Eala—chasing her maiden WTA Tour singles title—built strong momentum early in the second set to lead 2-1 before torrential downpours forced the players off the court.

Match Progress (Suspended):

• Set 1: Jessica Pegula (6) - Alex Eala (4)

• Set 2: Alex Eala leading 2-1 (on serve)

Eala, who previously met Pegula in a tight three-set semifinal battle at the 2025 Miami Open, showed remarkable resilience after dropping a tightly contested first set. 

The rising Filipina standout elevated her serving in the second set, winning all seven of her first-serve points and holding comfortably without facing a break point before the weather intervened.

The championship match is set to resume Monday at 12:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. Tuesday Philippine Standard Time), with Pegula serving down 1-2 in the second set. 

Pegula is seeking her second Washington title and 12th career WTA trophy, while Eala aims to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA 500 title.

Eala has earned a reputation as a "giant-killer" throughout the week.

She stunned four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 to secure her spot in the final.

En route to her second career WTA final, Eala knocked out second seed Elina Svitolina—marking her sixth top-10 win of the year—and ousted defending Washington champion Leylah Fernandez.

Her sensational run drew high praise from Pegula ahead of the match: "It’s going to be a battle. Alex—I’m a big fan of her. She’s the future of the tour, and she’s already here."

Matches cancelled

According to a Reuters report, following a delay of over five hours, tournament organizers officially called off play for the evening.

"Matches have been cancelled for tonight. The women’s singles final will now take place at 12:00 p.m. tomorrow. 

The men’s singles final will take place not before 1:00 p.m. tomorrow," tournament organizers announced on social media.

The men's final between 10th-ranked American Taylor Fritz and 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jódar was also pushed to Monday.

Canadian Open

Meanwhile, severe weather conditions also disrupted the Canadian Open, which runs through Aug. 14, with the WTA 1000 event in Toronto and the ATP 1000 event in Montreal both experiencing heavy disruptions.

In Toronto, play on the Grandstand court was halted during the match between Poland's Magdalena Fręch and France's Leolia Jeanjean. Tournament officials subsequently postponed all remaining night matches.

"All matches have been cancelled for tonight. Sunny skies in our future. Action resumes tomorrow," Toronto organizers confirmed.

Meanwhile in Montreal, day-session matches were repeatedly delayed by heavy showers before the entire night session was officially cancelled.

-Paraluman News with reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Peter Rutherford/Reuters