Fresh from making it to the semifinals of the 2026 WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, Alex Eala will next participate in the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia.
The Kooyong Classic is one of the world’s premier pro tennis exhibitions and has been around for 34 years running now. This year, on the women’s side, the tournament will feature Eala, Donna Vekić, Daniela Hantuchova, and Priscilla Han.
Meeting a Familiar Foe
Alex Eala will next play on Wednesday at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Kooyong, Australia. Waiting for her on the other side of the net is a familiar face: Donna Vekić.
Vekić and Eala met previously in the 2026 WTA 250 ASB Classic just a week ago, with the 20-year-old from Quezon City eking out a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Croatian in the Round of 32.
The veteran from Croatia already saw action in the tournament earlier today and hacked out a marathon 6-4, 7-6, 10-4 win over Han.
Off to the Australian Open for Alex Eala
The Kooyong Classic is just the appetizer of sorts, as the Filipina tennis sensation will jump straight to the Australian Open, the year’s first tennis Grand Slam, once the exhibition tourney ends on Thursday.
Eala will be part of the Australian Open’s 103-player main draw on the distaff side, as she is ranked in the Top 100 of the WTA. The WTA 150 Guadalajara Open champion was previously No. 53 but has now jumped four spots to No. 49 after her impressive run in Auckland.
Once Alex Eala plays in the Australian Open sometime later this week, she will have played in the main draws of all four Grand Slams—the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
That’s certainly not bad for the former winner of the Australian Open junior doubles in 2020.
