Rain twice disrupted the Mubadala DC Open on Aug. 2, forcing organizers to push back the highly anticipated match between Filipina tennis star Alex Eala and Jessica Pegula of the United States to Aug. 3.
The match was originally scheduled to begin at noon Aug. 2 but was delayed to 3 p.m. because of inclement weather. Play finally got underway at the FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, only to be halted again around 4 p.m. when rain returned. Organizers confirmed the contest will resume Aug. 3 at noon.
When the match was suspended, Pegula had taken the first set 6-4, while the second set stood at 1-2.
The tournament’s main stadium holds up to 7,500 fans but has no roof, leaving the event vulnerable to weather delays. Clearing standing water and drying the court to meet safety standards required significant time, preventing a same-day restart even after the rain eased.
Eala and Pegula, the world No. 3, were unable to complete their match as conditions remained unplayable into the evening.
Monday’s schedule has been adjusted accordingly: Eala and Pegula will resume at noon, followed by the men’s match between Taylor Fritz of the United States and Alejandro Jodar of Spain, set for not before 1 p.m. depending on how quickly the earlier match concludes.
Many Filipino American fans stayed longer in hopes of seeing Eala resume play, showing their support despite the repeated delays. But with work and other commitments awaiting many of them Monday, some left the venue even before organizers officially announced that the match had been moved to the next day.
