Alex Eala, Kooyong Classic, and Donna Vekic: How a Statement Win Reshaped the Australian Open Build-Up

Alex Eala’s January surge in Melbourne gained a new layer of meaning after her standout performance at the Kooyong Classic, where she beat Donna Vekic in straight sets and lifted a newly introduced women’s title. The result has pushed Eala’s name deeper into the Australian summer conversation, while also reframing the early-season narrative for Vekic, one of the tour’s most experienced big-match players.

For Eala, the Kooyong Classic win was more than an exhibition highlight. It was a confirmation that her recent form can travel, hold up under spotlight conditions, and translate into a confident lead-in to the first Grand Slam of the year.

Kooyong Classic: Alex Eala defeats Donna Vekic again in Melbourne

At the Kooyong Classic, Alex Eala delivered a composed 6–3, 6–4 win over Donna Vekic, backing up the belief that her matchup with the Croatian is trending in a new direction. The victory secured Eala the women’s prize at the event and placed her alongside a list of past Kooyong women’s champions, with organizers framing her presence as one of the defining moments of the 2026 edition.

The Kooyong Classic sits in a unique space on the calendar: competitive enough to reveal form, informal enough to encourage players to experiment with patterns, serves, and return positions ahead of the Australian Open. That blend often exposes who is arriving in Melbourne with timing already dialed in. Eala looked like one of those players.

The new trophy and what it signals for Eala’s momentum

Eala’s Kooyong Classic title came with the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy, introduced as a new women’s award for the event. Even in an exhibition setting, trophies matter because they shape the story entering a major: confidence, comfort on local courts, and the ability to close cleanly in a final-style environment.

Eala’s win also underlined something practical: her ability to manage the middle of sets. Against a seasoned opponent like Vekic, the margins can disappear quickly. Eala’s straight-sets finish suggested she controlled the critical phases rather than relying on a single hot streak.

Why “bullish Eala” is suddenly a real tennis conversation

In the span of recent days, Eala has stacked a sequence that looks like an early-season blueprint for a breakout run:

• A high-profile win over Donna Vekic in Auckland earlier this month, where Eala recovered from dropping the first set

• Another win over Vekic at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, this time in straight sets

• A quick pivot toward the Australian Open main draw, where early-round composure often decides who lasts into the second week

That arc matters because it shifts Eala from “promising” to “present.” Fans don’t need to imagine how her game might look against higher-ranked opposition; they are watching it happen, repeatedly, in the same month.

Donna Vekic: What the loss means for Vekic tennis heading into Melbourne Park

For Donna Vekic, the Kooyong Classic loss is not a verdict on her season, but it does add pressure to start fast at the Australian Open. Vekic carries the résumé and the experience to reset quickly, yet the timing of this setback is awkward: it places a question mark beside her readiness just as the draw begins.

Vekic’s first-round assignment at the Australian Open is also expected to be demanding, with a matchup against a top-tier opponent from the Adelaide lead-in circuit. In that context, even an exhibition defeat can amplify scrutiny. The good news for Vekic is that she has historically been capable of snapping into major-mode without a flawless warmup.

Kooyong Classic impact: atmosphere, crowd energy, and a preview of what’s next

One of the underappreciated elements of Eala’s Kooyong week was the crowd energy. A strong Filipino turnout created a distinctive environment that felt closer to a main-draw atmosphere than a typical tune-up. That kind of support can be fuel, but it can also raise expectations. Eala handled it with the calm body language of a player who expects to be there.

Now the spotlight shifts to what matters most: backing up the Kooyong Classic result when points and pressure are real.

What to watch next for Alex Eala and Donna Vekic

The next phase is simple and ruthless: the Australian Open doesn’t reward narratives, only wins. Still, Kooyong offered a strong preview of where both players stand.

Key watch points over the next week:

• Can Alex Eala carry her aggressive patterns into longer, tighter matches?

• Will Donna Vekic sharpen her first-strike timing quickly enough to avoid early trouble?

• Does the Eala–Vekic dynamic continue to evolve if their paths cross again later this season?

For now, the headline remains clear: Alex Eala left the Kooyong Classic with a statement win over Donna Vekic, and the rest of Melbourne suddenly feels like a stage she’s ready to claim.