By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
There will be little rest for Alex Eala as she is set to compete in the 2026 Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia next week – just days after her impressive showing at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
The event, slated on Jan. 13 to 15 at the exclusive Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, is a professional tennis exhibition singles-only tournament with invited Association of Tennis Professionals and (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) players.
According to its website at posting time, Eala will join three other female standouts in 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic, world No. 121 and local bet Priscilla Hon and multiple Grand Slam mixed doubles champion Daniela Hantuchova.
Eala put on a show in Auckland but her dazzling run was halted by Chinese Wang Xinyu, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, in the semifinals.
The cast in the men’s side is equally exciting, with former world No. 2 Alex Zverev bannering the crew that also has world No. 7 Lorenzo Mussetti, world No. 11 Alexander Bublik, 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, hometown bet and 2022 Australian Open doubles champion Nick Kygrios, 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, former world No. 10 Denis Shapovalov, two-time US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, former world No. 8 Karen Khachanov, Hubert Hurkacz, Flavio Cobolli, Bu Yunchaokete and Learner Tien.
The Kooyong Classic returned after a one-year hiatus. Its previous winners in the women’s side were Mirra Andreeva (2024), Vekic (2023) and Ajla Tomljanovic (2020) to name a few.
The tournament serves as a build up for Eala for the upcoming 2026 Australian Open late this month where she makes her main-draw debut at the said Grand Slam.
