BEFORE lifting her maiden WTA 500 trophy, Alex Eala had to overcome a series of champions and top contenders, a journey she believes made the milestone even more rewarding.
"It was a very steep hill coming in. I knew the competition was super strong and my draw was quite tough. Every match is a different set of obstacles. I'm super happy to encounter my fair share of obstacles this week," Eala said after the match in Washington.
The road began with Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen before Eala dethroned defending champion Leylah Fernandez, outlasted second seed Elina Svitolina, swept four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, then capped her dream run by rallying from a set down to deny top seed and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the rain-delayed championship match.
READ: Alex Eala claims first WTA Tour title by beating Pegula in DC Open final
The current world No. 28 valued the experience of competing against some of the sport's biggest stars over the course of the week, one that is expected to propel her into the WTA Top 20 for a new career-high ranking.
For Eala, the loaded draw became exactly the kind of challenge that accelerated her growth.
"To have this many matches at this very high level, these high-caliber players, helps me gain more experience and court time at that level, and inevitably propels my progression and the level of my game," she said.
"The more you spend time in that kind of zone, the better and more consistent you get. All these matchups and these hours are just experiences in the bag."
It was also the breakthrough many believed had long been coming.
READ: What Alex Eala gained after her maiden WTA Tour title at DC Open
Despite already owning an impressive collection of wins over the sport's elite, and a couple of firsts in PH sports history books Eala had until Monday only two WTA 125 titles and a Wimbledon Round of 16 finish to show for those giant-killing performances.
Even then, lifting the trophy was never something she expected to happen this soon.
"At the beginning of the week, I never thought I was going to be holding a trophy. Even at the beginning of the year," she admitted. "These things kind of creep up on you, and I hold these moments close to me."
For Eala, the title was more than validation. It was the reward for years of work and a week spent embracing every obstacle placed in front of her.
From that, it's deeply personal before it was representational.
"First and foremost, it's a personal achievement. I worked really hard. Winning a 500 is insane. It's a milestone for me," she said.
"I was so nervous. I kind of just blanked out. Everything came rushing to me, but I just channeled those nerves into hitting those balls and keeping my feet moving."
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