MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala continued her rise on the international tennis stage after securing the women’s singles title at the 2026 Kooyong Classic, an exhibition tournament held in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
The 20-year-old Filipina sealed the championship with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic, a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, in their match on Wednesday.
Eala was awarded the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy, named after the Australian tennis icon and former world No. 1 who won seven Grand Slam titles. Former Australian WTA and Grand Slam player Elizabeth Peers handed over the trophy during the awarding ceremony.
Ranked world No. 49, Eala now shifts her attention to her Australian Open main draw debut, where she is scheduled to face American Alycia Parks on Monday.
The product of the Rafa Nadal Academy has shown strong form heading into Melbourne, reaching the semifinals in both the singles and doubles competitions at the ASB Classic in New Zealand.
