Alex Eala caps buildup for Australian Open with Kooyong Classic trophy

MANILA, Philippines – It may have been just an exhibition, but Alex Eala made sure her presence was unmistakable at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

On Friday, January 16, the invitation-only tournament declared Eala as this year’s champion, handing her the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy, named after the former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion of Australia. 

The trophy capped Eala’s buildup for her main draw appearance in the Australian Open early next week. 

“It feels great. I’m super excited,” Eala said during the Australian Open pre-event press conference. “You know, coming in as a main draw player gives a different vibe, especially with the struggles I had in the past coming here. So, I’m super excited to come here in full force.”

Eala is coming into the Grand Slam event with great momentum, winning four of her last five matches, including one against Paris Olympics silver medalist Donna Vekic in the Kooyong Classic last Wednesday, January 14.

The 20-year-old Filipino’s 2026 stretch so far also includes a semifinal run in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, where her lone loss came to China’s Wang Xinyu in the semifinals.

The event also pushed her to a career-high No. 49 world ranking this week, ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year. 

Eala said matches such as those in Auckland and Melbourne benefited her for the Australian Open, the only Grand Slam event she has yet to debut in the main draw. 

“It was definitely great for confidence. Getting matches always helps before Slams, so I’m confident with how I’m playing. It doesn’t mean that matches aren’t going to be tough here, so I’m ready for playing here,” she said. 

In the Australian Open’s first round, Eala will face American Alycia Parks, who is currently the WTA-ranked No. 100 entering the tournament. 

The 25-year-old Parks reached the third round of the Australian Open in 2024, five months after she reached her career-high No. 40 ranking in August 2023. 

The winner will then take on world No. 19 Karolína Muchová of the Czech Republic or No. 37 Jaqueline Cristian of Romania in the second round.

With Eala emerging as one of the tournament’s marquee attractions, the Filipino sensation is set to draw another wave of flag-waving fans, just as she has in past tournaments.

“In this part of the world, there are a lot of Filipinos, and the turnout this year has grown significantly, I would say, from the past year,” she said. “So, I’m just so happy to see this environment, and people are excited when I’m on court.”

While she is preparing for the Australian Open, Eala is also pencilled to be one of the wildcards in the Philippine Women’s Open, the first-ever WTA 125 event in the country, from January 26 to 31. 

For her, it was a dream realized at last and a tournament she could finally call home.

“I’m happy that it’s finally coming together. It’s really happening. It’s a dream to have a home tournament, and just the WTA stage in general, I think it’s a huge step for tennis in the Philippines and women’s tennis, especially since I know some friends who are going to play there,” she said. 

“I’m so happy that it’ll bring a lot of inspiration and a lot of motivation for the girls back home.” – Rappler.com