Alex Eala won the women’s singles title of the 2026 Kooyong Classic on Saturday in Melbourne, Australia, after defeating Donna Vekic of Croatia, 6-3, 6-4, in a professional exhibition event that preceded her debut in the Australian Open.
Organizers of the Kooyong Classic named the 20-year-old Filipino as the women’s singles champion of the tournament, which took place at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne.
Eala received the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy, which the organizers named in honor of the former world No. 1 Australian player and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Former Australian WTA and Grand Slam player Elizabeth Peers presented the championship trophy to Eala during the awarding ceremony.
The Kooyong Classic featured Eala against Vekic, who won the silver medal in women’s singles tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Eala’s Kooyong Classic victory came as part of her preparations for her first main-draw appearance at the Australian Open, which will take place in Melbourne later in January 2026.
Tournament officials listed Eala as representing the Philippines in the Kooyong Classic, which served as a warm-up event for several players ahead of the Grand Slam season.