Every WTA player who won their first title in 2026 including Alex Eala’s Washington victory

Alex Eala lifted her first silverware on the WTA Tour during the 2026 season.

Eala ended the season losing in the Hong Kong final to Claire Liu, but it was still a breakthrough season for the Filipina.

The 21-year-old is ending the year as a top 15 ranked player, which she has been able to achieve after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon and lifting her first WTA title, with Eala winning the Washington Open back in July after beating Jessica Pegula in the final.

Eala’s victory in the U.S. capital means that she is one of 13 players who won their first WTA singles title in 2026.

Alex Eala is one of 13 players who won their first WTA title in 2026

The WTA season has seen familiar names winning titles, with the likes of Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff all lifting silverware in 2026, but there have also been some new faces in the winners’ circle.

This all started with Sara Bejlek at the Abu Dhabi Open, with the 20-year-old coming all the way through qualifying to claim her maiden title. Bejlek has continued to impress in 2026, as she also beat Sabalenka en route to the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.

Bejlek is one of a number of younger first-time WTA title winners, which includes teenagers Lilli Tagger and Kristina Liutova. Liutova’s title run was particularly surprising, as it came in the 16-year-old’s first and only WTA Tour event of her career so far.

While younger players dominate this list, there have also been some players winning their first WTA title in the later stages of their career. This includes British player Harriet Dart, who won her first title at the Guangzhou Open at 30 years old.

The biggest title victory of any of these first-time winners went to Maja Chwalinska. Chwalinska had already enjoyed a huge breakthrough season after coming through qualifying to reach the Roland Garros final, and she proved that she was not a one hit wonder during the Asian swing.

Chwalinska won the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan after beating the likes of Iga Swiatek, Iva Jovic and Maria Sakkari, before coming from a set down to beat British player Sonay Kartal in a surprise final.

The 13th and final first-time WTA title winner this year is actually the aforementioned Liu, who beat Eala to win the tournament in Hong Kong at 26 years old.

Who is the highest-ranked active WTA player without a title?

While there have been a number of new players winning their WTA title, world number 26 Anna Kalinskaya is still titleless, making her the highest-ranked on tour yet to win a tournament. Kalinskaya has been ranked as high as world number 11, but has never won a title above WTA 125 level, which is not classed as a main tour title.

However, Kalinskaya has been within touching distance of doing so in her career, having been in three finals. This includes serving for the WTA 1000 title in Dubai against Jasmine Paolini in 2024, and having five championship points against Pegula in the Berlin final that same year.

Kalinskaya has not been in another final or even semi-final this year, with her best result coming when she reached her second career Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros, before losing to the aforementioned Chwalinska.

• Dubai Tennis Championships 2024 – Jasmine Paolini beat Kalinskaya, 4-6 7-5 7-5

• Berlin Tennis Open 2024 – Jessica Pegula beat Kalinskaya, 6(0)-7 6-4 7-6(3)

• Washington Open 2025 – Leylah Fernandez beat Kalinskaya, 6-1 6-2

The Russian is not the only top 30 player who is yet to win a title, with world number 29 Nikola Bartunkova yet to even reach a final, despite enjoying a breakthrough season in 2026.

Rybakina, who has withdrawn from the WTA Finals, has won the most singles titles in 2026 with four, including the Australian Open and the US Open, but she could still be equalled by either Sabalenka or Mirra Andreeva if they win the year-end tournament in Indian Wells.

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