{"id":2075765,"date":"2026-08-03T19:45:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2075765"},"modified":"2026-08-03T19:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:45:29","slug":"rafael-nadal-sends-message-to-alex-eala-after-washington-open-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2075765","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Nadal sends message to Alex Eala after Washington Open victory"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Rafael Nadal sends message to Alex Eala after Washington Open victory<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/liam-mcmillen\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Liam McMillen                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"03 Aug 2026 8:45 PM\" data-ps-date=\"03 Aug 2026 8:45 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1785786329\"><br \/>\n                            03 Aug 2026 8:45 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 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class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Rafael Nadal sends message to Alex Eala after Washington Open victory\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ps-aws.com\/c?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Fcontent%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F04%2FAlex-Eala-Rafael-Nadal-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Alex Eala and Rafael Nadal.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Alex Eala and Rafael Nadal.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>At the second time of asking, Alex Eala claimed the first WTA title of her career at the Washington Open, by defeating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jessica-pegula\">Jessica Pegula<\/a> in the final.<\/p>\n<p>Eala had previously lost the Eastbourne Open and won a couple of Challenger events, but this was her first triumph on one of the biggest stages the WTA Tour has to offer.<\/p>\n<p>The Filipina star toppled Jessica Pegula in two sets in a final that was split over two days, due to a storm that hit the final on the Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Eala entered the the second day of the final a set down, but she produced a brilliant performance to take the second set 6-4, before a capitulation from Pegula allowed Eala to take the next set 6-0.<\/p>\n<p>Just hours after the match, Rafael Nadal took to social media to send the 21-year-old star a message.<\/p>\n<h2>More Alex Eala news<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/greg-rusedski-predicts-when-alex-eala-grand-slams-most-exciting-claim\">Greg Rusedski predicts when Alex Eala will start challenging for Grand Slams amid \u2018most exciting\u2019 claim<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/what-jessica-pegula-said-about-alex-ealas-fans-after-losing-the-washington-open-final\">What Jessica Pegula said about Alex Eala\u2019s fans after losing the Washington Open final<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/alex-eala\">Alex Eala<\/a>!,\u201d wrote the King of Clay. \u201cWhat an incredible week in Washington! A well-deserved title for all the hard work.<br \/>\nCongratulations to the Philippines and to the entire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/rafael-nadal\">Rafael Nadal<\/a> Academy team!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eala spent her early years training at the King of Clay\u2019s academy in Spain, before turning professional and taking the WTA Tour by storm in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first time Nadal has publicly messaged Eala after a triumph on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/WTA-Tour\">WTA Tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025, during Eala\u2019s incredible run to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/miami-open\">Miami Open<\/a> semi finals, which saw her pick up a victory over Iga Swiatek, Nadal took to social media again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are extremely proud of you, Alex,\u201d Nadal wrote on X after her quarter final victory against the Pole. \u201cWhat an incredible tournament! Let\u2019s keep dreaming!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eala\u2019s victory at the Washington Open has put her into the WTA Tour top 20 and there is every chance she continues to soar up the rankings.<\/p>\n<p>The Filipina star is defending just 70 points across the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the US Open, so she is all but guaranteed to pick up more rankings points.<\/p>\n<p>Just 41 ranking points split Eala and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/Ekaterina-Alexandrova\">Ekaterina Alexandrova<\/a>, who is the world No 19. There is every chance the 21-year-old can make her top 15 debut at the before the US Open if she contiues the form she has shown over the summer.<\/p>\n<p>Since the grass court season, Eala has claimed her first WTA title in Washington, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, won the Birmingham Challenger, and reached the semi finals of the Berlin Open.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been an incredible run for the Filipina star.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rafael Nadal sends message to Alex Eala after Washington Open victory Liam McMillen 03 Aug 2026 8:45 PM Alex Eala and Rafael Nadal. At the second time of asking, Alex Eala claimed the first WTA title of her career at the Washington Open, by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final. Eala had previously lost the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2075765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2075765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075765\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2075765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2075765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2075765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}