分类： sports

In the sunbaked outer districts of Metro Manila, a four-year-old girl sends a forehand sailing wide across a court paved from crushed seashells. She is far from alone: dozens of young children across the Philippine archipelago are now lacing up tennis shoes and picking up rackets, all chasing the trail blazed by Alexandra Eala, the country’s first homegrown tennis star to reach the upper ranks of global competition.

The 21-year-old’s rapid ascent to the world’s top 20 in the WTA rankings has upended the status of tennis in the Philippines, a nation long dominated by passion for basketball, professional boxing, and cockfighting, where tennis was long dismissed as a pastime exclusive to wealthy elites. Today, the sport is experiencing a surge of grassroots interest unseen in the country’s history: sales of entry-level tennis equipment have spiked, public and private courts are booked out weeks in advance, and parents are enrolling their preschool-aged children in training programs at a rate local tennis authorities never anticipated.

“Apart from just bringing new people to watch the sport, she’s actually gotten people to play,” Tonette Mendoza, executive director of the Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA), told Agence France-Presse. “Many parents are looking at her success and thinking, ‘If she can do it, maybe my kid can be the next Alex.’”

For nine-year-old Mayumi Stevens, a single iconic photo of Eala diving full-stretch for a shot on Wimbledon’s Centre Court was enough to convince her to pursue tennis. “I felt like, wow, that’s going to be me,” Stevens said while waiting for practice at the Alabang Tennis Academy, an elite training facility in an exclusive Manila suburb. “I want to be Eala when I grow up.”

Major sporting goods brands have already moved to capitalize on the Eala-fueled boom. French retail chain Decathlon reported that beginner tennis racket sales have jumped 66 percent over the past year, prompting the company to rearrange in-store displays and overhaul its social media content to center Eala’s success. “We really had to jump onto the bandwagon, creating content that’s very relatable, that’s very timely for whatever’s happening with Alex right now,” said Vince Roque, Decathlon’s partnerships and communications manager in the Philippines.

The sudden surge in demand has exposed longstanding infrastructure gaps in the country, a sprawling archipelago of more than 7,600 islands that PhilTA estimates has fewer than 1,000 tennis courts in total. Many of these are unique local shell courts, built from a low-cost blend of crushed seashells, sand, and clay that is cheaper to construct and maintain than traditional red clay. Even so, booking a court has become a major challenge. “It’s super crazy to book tennis courts nowadays,” said Czarina Arevalo, coach of the Philippines’ under-12 and under-14 national girls’ teams, adding that she never expected to see a Filipino player break into the world’s top 20 in her lifetime.

Eala, a former US Open junior girls’ champion, climbed to 20th in the WTA rankings just 12 months after qualifying for her first senior Grand Slam, the 2025 French Open. After reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in July 2025, she claimed her first senior WTA title earlier this month in Washington, D.C., defeating former world number one Naomi Osaka and top-ranked player Jessica Pegula in back-to-back upset wins.

Her historic run has earned her a loyal national following, even among the 10 million Filipinos who live and work overseas in search of better economic opportunity. Many overseas Filipino fans have paid hundreds of dollars for center court seats to watch Eala compete, bringing the raucous, passionate energy typical of Philippine basketball matches to traditional tennis crowds that once prioritized quiet etiquette. “People were screaming like in a basketball match,” Mendoza said of Eala’s appearance at the 2025 Australian Open earlier this year. “Many of them had never watched a tennis match in their entire lives, but this excitement makes sense. She’s our first who’s gone this far.”

Despite the grassroots boom, Philippine tennis still faces steep structural barriers. Outside of Eala, the nation has almost no representation in the upper tiers of professional tennis: just four Filipino men hold ATP rankings, and none are ranked inside the world’s top 1000. Eala is the only ranked Filipina in the WTA. For a population of 116 million, public tennis courts are extremely scarce, and a quality entry-level racket can cost the equivalent of a full month’s wages for the average Filipino worker. Eala herself had to leave the Philippines at age 13 to accept a scholarship at Rafael Nadal’s renowned tennis academy in Spain to pursue her dream, a path not available to most young Filipino players. Most top emerging local players end up moving to the United States for college and transition to coaching after graduation, often out of economic necessity, Mendoza said.

In response to the surge of interest, local governments across the country are now rushing to construct new hard courts, most often in multipurpose facilities that can host multiple sports. Decathlon reported it has received a growing wave of sponsorship requests from local communities building new courts and hosting free beginner tennis clinics. PhilTA is scheduled to break ground this year on a government-funded National Tennis Center north of Manila, which will include a development academy and an 8,000-seat competition stadium.

For tennis advocates, the growing wave of young Filipinos taking up the sport can only increase the odds of producing the next Alexandra Eala. While that next star is “not in the pipeline yet,” Mendoza conceded, “But I’m sure there’s someone out there.”

For months, interim Carlton Football Club coach Josh Fraser kept his ambitions for the vacant senior coaching role closely guarded. Now, after 13 weeks steering the struggling team to an extraordinary turnaround, the caretaker has broken his silence and made his aspirations official: he is ready to take on the permanent top job.

When Michael Voss departed the club earlier this season, Carlton sat at a disappointing 1 win and 8 losses, their finals hopes all but written off by fans and analysts alike. Since Fraser stepped into the interim role, he has revitalized the squad, climbing the ladder to put the Blues firmly in contention for the final spot in this year’s AFL finals series. For weeks he deflected questions about whether he would pursue the permanent position, but he shared a definitive update with reporters this week.

“A fortnight ago, the club came to me and asked me to be a part of this coaching process and then this week I was in a position to go back to the club and accept that offer to go through the process,” Fraser explained in a press interaction. “I will present it to the coaching panel this week and now I can focus my attention to this week’s game. I’ve said all along if I committed to that process I was all in, so now it’s in the hands of the selection panel and we’ll see what comes of it.”

Fraser’s extended interim tenure — a rare opportunity for a caretaker to lead a club across a large portion of a full season — has played a key role in confirming his confidence to step into the senior role permanently. When he first took the interim position 13 to 14 weeks ago, he admitted he was unsure if he was prepared to put his name forward for the permanent job.

“That wasn’t to say I wasn’t, it was just that in my mind at that time, I wasn’t completely sure that I was ready to put my hand up,” he said. “This opportunity I feel has been able to fast-track me in many ways. It has been quite unique that you get an extended period of time to be a senior coach. There are so many things that whilst you’re not exposed to everything, there are so many things you are exposed to that ordinarily you wouldn’t be.”

That on-the-job experience has reinforced the coaching philosophies Fraser developed over his career, he added, leaving him certain he is prepared for the full-time role. “I think having that little bit of experience now behind me, reinforcing some of the philosophies I’ve been able to develop over the years. Through conversations and through my own thinking, analysing, I think I’m ready.”

Fraser noted that aspiring senior coaches constantly refine their approach and vision ahead of any opening, and his candidacy will center on the dramatic improvement the Blues have shown over his 12 weeks in charge, paired with the untapped potential he still sees in the playing group.

“The growth we’ve shown has been exciting but that’s balanced out with I think we’ve got a lot more to go,” he said. “I think there’s the reality too that there’s 19 jobs to be a senior coach … I felt like it was the right time. I am as excited about this group as a lot of our Carlton supporters would be.”

Canberra Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart has moved to clear up widespread speculation around his relationship with forward Corey Horsburgh, explaining the decision to drop the fiery prop from this weekend’s squad following a costly on-field outburst against the Newcastle Knights last week.

Last round, Horsburgh was issued a sin bin after lashing out at Knights veteran Dane Gagai, a moment of poor discipline that overturned a penalty that would have leveled the score for Canberra as the club fights to secure a spot in the NRL finals. The incident not only earned the forward a fine from the NRL’s match review committee but also a post-match reprimand from Stuart, who ultimately left Horsburgh out of the line-up to face the Cronulla Sharks this Saturday.

Following the loss to the Knights, Stuart did not mince words when criticizing the mistake, noting that the ill-timed error had cost Canberra a critical opportunity to keep their semi-finals push on track. He added that the team had already paid for poor discipline and a sense of entitlement earlier in the season, emphasizing that 16 other players had put in massive effort only for one poor decision to undermine their work.

Speaking publicly on Friday morning, Stuart addressed the growing rumors around Horsburgh – including widespread reports that the prop is on the verge of signing a deal with new expansion franchise the Perth Bears, who are set to enter the NRL competition in 2028. The veteran coach pushed back hard on claims the incident had created a permanent rift between him and the forward, stressing that his relationship with Horsburgh remains unchanged.

“I decided to give him a rest. I spoke to Corey about that, and he was comfortable,” Stuart told reporters. “Not from my point of view, and not from my couple of chats with Corey would I say that our relationship has changed. Corey knows I like Corey. There is no one who could say that I dislike Corey because I don’t. I’ve worked with Corey for a long time and I can’t strongly enough say that there is no ill feeling from myself towards Corey. I’ve been comfortable talking to Corey this week and explaining the situation.”

Horsburgh is not the only Raiders forward linked with a move to an incoming expansion side. Representative star Hudson Young has been heavily linked with the PNG-based expansion franchise the Chiefs, who have already locked in high-profile signings including Penrith Panthers winger Brian To’o ahead of their 2028 debut. Young would be a marquee addition for the new club, with Canberra openly working to retain his services for the long term. When asked about the transfer rumors on Friday, Stuart dismissed the speculation, saying he is only focused on preparing for this weekend’s match against the Sharks.

As one of the AFL’s most experienced key forwards approaches a final call that will redefine Richmond Football Club’s attacking setup for the 2025 season, first-year Tigers head coach Adem Yze has opened up about 33-year-old spearhead Tom Lynch’s future at the club.

Contrary to recent retirements of fellow premiership winners Nathan Broad and Dion Prestia, multiple insider indications point to Lynch inking a new contract extension to remain at Punt Road for another campaign, rather than hanging up his boots. While Yze stopped short of formally confirming the deal, he made clear the veteran’s irreplaceable value to the Tigers’ young, developing forward group in comments to media this week.

“An official announcement is on track to come within the next seven days or so,” Yze told reporters. “Tom is absolutely critical to this footy club. Our forward line is extremely young right now, and he brings a level of leadership and experience no one else on our list can offer. To his credit, his on-field form has held up incredibly well this season – he’s still consistently hitting the scoreboard and producing the high-level performance we need from him. He’s a difference-maker for us both on the training track and in the change rooms, and that importance isn’t going anywhere next year.”

The press update comes just days after Prestia, another three-time Richmond premiership player, confirmed he would end his Tigers tenure at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The 32-year-old left the door open to continuing his playing career at a third AFL club (after stints at Gold Coast and Richmond) while also exploring coaching opportunities in a recent radio interview. Yze said he would not be surprised to see rival clubs reach out to acquire Prestia, noting his widespread respect and value around the league.

“I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see other clubs circle him,” Yze said. “I know firsthand how much value he brings off the field, and any move he makes next is entirely his call. He’ll have discussions over the coming weeks and make a final call after our last game of the season. His contribution to Richmond over the past three years has been outstanding, there’s no question about that. Our list is in a rebuilding phase right now, but there’s definitely a club out there that could see him as the final piece to push their roster over the line. He would add real value to any side in the competition. Long-term, he has a really bright coaching career ahead of him, and if he wants to add one more year of playing to that, that’s entirely his decision. He’s been a fantastic servant for Richmond, and his legacy here will last for decades.”

On a thrilling night of competition at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, young British sprinter Amy Hunt delivered a standout performance to claim a historic European sprint double, capping off a day that saw Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh retain his discus title and the German team surge to five total medals including two golds.

Hunt, 24, held her composure through the final turn of the women’s 200m before unleashing a blistering last 50 meters to cross the finish line first in 22.19 seconds. Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke took silver with a time of 22.28 seconds, while Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith — the last sprinter to claim a European 100m-200m double back in 2018 — secured bronze. The result tied Asher-Smith for the all-time record of seven career European Athletics Championship medals.

With two individual golds already secured, Hunt now turns her attention to the women’s and mixed 4x100m relays, with an eye to completing an unprecedented four championship gold haul. “Two out of four, baby!” Hunt told reporters after the race. “No celebrations and no champagne until Sunday night. We have got to come out here and make sure we show them who the best sprinting nation is in Europe.”

Over in the men’s discus competition, Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia put on a masterclass to defend his European title, breaking the championship record twice on his way to a winning best throw of 72.51 meters. World record holder Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania took silver with a throw of 69.89 meters, while Germany’s Henrik Janssen clinched bronze at 69.53 meters, edging out three-time reigning world champion Daniel Stahl of Sweden by 31 centimeters. Ceh called the 2024 field the highest quality discus competition in the history of the European Championships. “When you throw alongside these guys it is like another boost,” he added.

Janssen’s bronze was just one part of a historic night for Team Germany. World champion Leo Neugebauer pulled off a dramatic narrow victory in the men’s decathlon, beating teammate and defending Olympic champion Niklas Kaul by just 38 points to claim gold. A personal best 54.31m discus throw put Neugebauer in position to win heading into the final 1500m event, where he held a 154-point lead over Kaul. Kaul mounted a stunning comeback after throwing a massive 73.54m javelin to overtake Norway’s Sander Skotheim for second, and needed just a 22-second win over Neugebauer to take gold. In a dramatic finish, Neugebauer cramped badly in the final 30 meters of the race and collapsed across the finish line in 4:38.36, holding on for the narrow win in front of a stunned 20,000-strong crowd at Alexander Stadium. Skotheim rounded out the podium with bronze.

Germany’s second gold of the night came from 34-year-old steeplechaser Gesa Felicitas Krause, who outpaced defending champion Alice Finot of France to win the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:12.69. The win marked Krause’s third European title, adding to her legacy as one of the sport’s most decorated steeplechasers, and teammate Olivia Guerth added another bronze to Germany’s tally for the event.

The night also saw Ireland earn its first ever men’s gold medal at the European Athletics Championships, courtesy of Mark English in the 800m. Fresh off setting a new championship record in the semi-finals, the medical doctor and two-time previous bronze medallist delivered a perfectly timed final sprint to cross the line first in 1:45.26. “I have been trying for a lifetime to get a title,” English said after the race. “Relief in 2014 when I got my first medal and relief today as well. It is just amazing.” Croatia’s Marino Bloudek took silver, holding off Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui.

In other Thursday night results, Swiss pole vaulter Angelica Moser successfully defended her European title with a best clearance of 4.80m, with Finland’s Wilma Heltela taking silver and France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin claiming bronze. Italy’s Dariya Derkach won the women’s triple jump with a best leap of 14.60m, beating Belgium’s Saliyya Guisse (14.46m) for gold.

As attention turns to Friday’s schedule, Great Britain will look to add another sprint gold to its tally when Zharnel Hughes, the 2022 100m champion, lines up in the men’s 200m final. Hughes won his semi-final in 20.05 seconds, while Germany’s 100m bronze medalist Owen Ansah clocked the fastest qualifying time of 20.04 seconds.

One of the Australian Football League’s most decorated Collingwood Magpies veterans, Steele Sidebottom, has opened up about the internal reasoning that led him to announce his retirement, the lifestyle shifts that shaped his 15-year professional career, and the highlight moment that stands out above all others across 373 senior games.

Sidebottom, a two-time premiership winner with the club, revealed he made the final call to end his playing tenure on the cusp of this year’s iconic Anzac Day clash – a fixture where he twice earned best-on-ground honours. Contrary to widespread speculation that the high-profile match would be his fairytale send-off, the 34-year-old explained that no single game or sentimental trigger pushed him toward retirement. Instead, the mental weight of planning for life after football had started to overshadow the joy he once felt competing in front of Collingwood’s legions of adoring fans.

“I guess when it came down to it, there was no specific big event behind the decision,” Sidebottom explained. “I realized I wasn’t enjoying my footy anymore because I was constantly distracted by the inevitable decision I’d have to make about retiring at some point. It wasn’t Anzac Day itself – I love playing that match more than any other – it just wasn’t any one specific reason that pushed me over the line.”

Sidebottom made his senior AFL debut for Collingwood back in 2009, and just 12 months later, he claimed his first premiership medallion as a young up-and-comer. Looking back on the early years of his career, he reflected that he fell into the typical party culture of young footballers, shaped by an upbringing with four older brothers that left him drawn to casual drinking sessions with friends. That all changed when he met his now-wife Alisha, who arrived at exactly the right moment to help him refocus and adjust his off-field priorities.

“I probably struggled to find the right balance early on,” Sidebottom admitted. “I always put everything I had into my training and match play, but there were definitely habits off the field that I needed to change. When I met Alisha, she was exactly the person I needed to meet at that point in my life, so I knew I had to adjust. I was a professional footballer, not a part-time one – but back then, I was just doing the minimum required, I wasn’t going above and beyond to get the most out of my ability.

“In my early 20s, there’s so many distractions. My friends weren’t in professional sport, they lived totally different lives, and I often got pulled into going home for beers with them after training. But I don’t regret a minute of it – I’ve had the kind of career most players can only dream of, and I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved.”

Across his 15 seasons, Sidebottom played 373 senior games, but the highlight he calls unbeatable is the Magpies’ 2023 premiership – a title that came 13 long years after his first top-flight success. He explained that as a young player in 2010, he was too inexperienced to fully grasp what a premiership meant to the club and its fanbase, but after more than a decade of falling short of grand final success, he was able to savor every moment of the 2023 win.

“2023 is definitely my favourite memory,” he said. “In 2010 I was so young, I didn’t really understand what that premiership meant to so many people, to be honest. I kind of took it for granted. Then, when you go years without getting to play in a grand final, you realize how rare that success is. Waiting 13 years for another chance made me really appreciate 2023, and I made sure I enjoyed every second of it.”

Looking ahead to life after football, Sidebottom said he has no immediate plans and is approaching his post-playing future as a blank canvas – but he ruled out one popular next step for retired stars: coaching. “Probably not, no. I think coaches are a totally different breed,” he said with a laugh. “You have to be all-in to be a coach, and right now I’m just not ready for that commitment. It wouldn’t be fair to the club or the players if I went into coaching half-hearted. I’m just going to take some time to reflect on my career, and enjoy what life after footy has to offer.”