Alex Eala rises to career-high No. 17 in WTA rankings

GMA Network - Nov 2, 2026

Just before plunging into her final WTA event of the year, Alex Eala hit another new milestone by climbing to a new career-high in the world rankings at No. 17.

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Foreign contingent in PH Open bringing a lot of firepower

Nov 1, 2026

Foreign contingent in PH Open bringing a lot of firepower

CARMONA–The foreign contingent seeing action in the 108th Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will not lack firepower, with former Asian Tour Order of Merit winners John Catlin of the United States and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond leading the field. The finale of the Tour’s 2026 season will be held from Nov. 12

PBA: LA Tenorio gets reality check as rookie coaching year ends

Nov 1, 2026

PBA: LA Tenorio gets reality check as rookie coaching year ends

MANILA, Philippines–There was a humbling tone in the voice of Magnolia coach LA Tenorio as his rookie season came to a close in a rough way with a quarterfinal sweep at the hands of TNT. And Tenorio knows that there are plenty of things to work on before he can find himself among the elite

UAAP: Kieffer Alas finds silver lining in OT loss to La Salle

Nov 1, 2026

UAAP: Kieffer Alas finds silver lining in OT loss to La Salle

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the loss to La Salle, Ateneo rookie Kieffer Alas had some positive takeaways on Saturday night. Alas was mum after the Blue Eagles’ first-round loss to the Green Archers last month, but this time, he was in high spirits. “It feels good. The losses don’t, but we get experience. I feell like these

UAAP: Joaquin Tovera steps up anew for La Salle without Jacob Cortez

Nov 1, 2026

UAAP: Joaquin Tovera steps up anew for La Salle without Jacob Cortez

MANILA, Philippines—With Jacob Cortez still sidelined with a right knee injury, La Salle turned to its rookie Joaquin Tovera in a crucial rivalry game against Ateneo in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament. Tovera delivered and led the Green Archers to a thrilling 76-73 overtime win for their third straight victory. He shone with

Grizzlies down Kings to remain unbeaten 

Nov 1, 2026

Grizzlies down Kings to remain unbeaten 

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Rookie Cameron Boozer had 27 points and nine rebounds, and Isaiah Stewart added 24 points as the Memphis Grizzlies remained the only unbeaten team in the NBA with a 136-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). The Grizzlies’ 6-0 record matches the 2014-15 season for the best start in franchise history. After the Houston Rockets’ 116-111 loss at Dallas on Friday night, Memphis was the last unbeaten team in the league. The Grizzlies dominated the Kings in the second half to coast home, with the lead reaching 34 in the second half. GG Jackson finished with 21 points, connecting on all five of his 3-pointers as Memphis built its lead in the first half. Cam Spencer, starting at point guard as Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. sat out with back issues, had 10 points and 13 assists. Meanwhile, the Kings, led by 38 points from Darus Acuff Jr., continue to struggle in the season’s early stages, dropping to 0-6. Acuff, the rookie from Arkansas, scored 34 points against New Orleans in a loss Thursday; De’Andre Hunter finished with 19 points. Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine scored 11 points each, Sabonis adding 14 rebounds and eight assists. Memphis led by 21 points in the first half behind Jackson’s 3-point shooting, but Acuff was able to keep the Kings into the game with 21 first-half points. The Grizzlies led a 66-55 lead at intermission as Jackson connected on all five of his 3-point attempts. The double-digit margin ballooned to 30 in the third quarter as Stewart and Boozer, the third pick in last summer’s draft, fueled the Memphis offense. The Grizzlies outscored Sacramento 42-25 in the third. Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr. had 30 points and nine rebounds, Marcus Smart added 24 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98. Smith shot 10 of 18 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. Smart was 7 of 10 on 3s as the Rockets shot 46 percent as a team and were 18 of 41 from behind the arc. Alperen Sengun, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with lower back soreness, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists, and Kevin Durant scored 14 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and Kenrich Williams and Bennett Stirtz scored 11 apiece for Oklahoma City, which lost its second straight after beginning the season 4-0. Isaiah Hartenstein and Jared McCain had 10 points each for the Thunder, which shot 44 percent and were 10 of 32 on 3s.

Youth Olympic Games opens in Senegal

Nov 1, 2026

Youth Olympic Games opens in Senegal

DIAMNIADIO, Senegal — The Youth Olympic Games opened in Senegal on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), marking the first Olympic event in Africa as the continent seeks a bigger role in international sports competitions. Tens of thousands of spectators cheered on the opening ceremony in the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium near the capital Dakar. Hundreds of drummers and dancers celebrated Senegalese and African culture in line with the Games motto, “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.” A giant map of Africa was created by performers dressed in yellow, black and white traditional Senegalese gowns, dancing in unison, in a grandiose ceremony that saw West African oral storytelling, concerts by Senegalese singers and athletes parading. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the Games open. “This is a historic event and it was so important for me to be here,” said Aby Diouf, 25, a Senegalese spectator at the stadium. “It’s a marvellous celebration and we are all here to bring the energy and get people hyped." About 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete through Nov. 13 in Dakar, the nearby city of Diamniadio and the beach resort of Saly. Russia’s delegation of 13 athletes is competing under its national flag for the first time at an Olympic event since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to its suspension. The first refugee team at a Youth Olympics will field six athletes based in Kenya and Uganda in track and field, judo and taekwondo. Athletes overall will compete in 153 medal events across 25 sports. Singapore hosted the first summer Youth Games in 2010. Dakar was initially due to host in 2022 but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the Games. “This is a historic moment for Senegal, for Africa and for our entire Olympic family” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said at the opening ceremony. Coventry, a former swimming gold medalist from Zimbabwe, became the first female and African boss of the International Olympic Committee last year. AP

Barca hammers Alaves, keeps La Liga top spot

Nov 1, 2026

Barca hammers Alaves, keeps La Liga top spot

BARCELONA — Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each struck twice as Barcelona thrashed Alaves, 6-1, on Saturday to reclaim their La Liga lead and get back on track after two damaging defeats. Earlier Atletico Madrid, second, earned a solid 2-0 win at Levante, but Barca moved back two points clear of the Rojiblancos by routing the Basque visitors at Camp Nou. Still stinging after a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and then last weekend's La Liga home Clasico loss against rivals Real Madrid, Hansi Flick's side found their groove once more. Raphinha netted twice in the first half, either side of a Fermin Lopez strike, and Yamal found the net just before the interval. Teenage winger Yamal netted again midway through the second half and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca's sixth, before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves. "It was a hard week for us, there was no better place than Camp Nou in front of our fans (to bounce back)," Lopez told Movistar. "They make the difference, Lamine and Raphinha, with them we will achieve big things." There was a minute's silence at the start of each of the day's matches in memory of the 69 victims of the train crash in the province of Toledo that rocked Spain this week. Flick lined up with Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong playing at center-back and youngster Brian Farinas making his first start at right-back, amid a spate of defensive injuries. It did not hamper the champions. Barcelona moved ahead in the eighth minute, with La Liga's top scorer Raphinha continuing his red-hot form after Lopez teed him up. Lopez doubled Barcelona's lead himself in the 23rd minute. Yamal slipped the midfielder in and, from a tight angle, he smashed the ball across goal and fortuitously in at the far post, seemingly intending to cross it. Karim Adeyemi and Yamal both missed glorious chances from close range to expand on Barca's lead, with Raphinha showing the duo how to do it as he bagged his 15th league goal. Lopez sent the forward through on goal and Raphinha produced a lethal finish across Antonio Sivera. Perhaps frustrated by his miss, Yamal smashed home the fourth with an instinctive low strike from the edge of the box in first half stoppage time. Adeyemi blazed another presentable chance over the crossbar early in the second half after Lopez unselfishly set him up. Yamal got Barca's fifth with a neat dink over the goalkeeper after substitute Gabriel Jesus played him through on goal. Gordon produced a similar finish for Barca's sixth and the only tarnish on their evening was former Real Madrid striker Diaz netting late on.

PVL: Team effort, trust key to Akari success, Mars Alba says

Nov 1, 2026

PVL: Team effort, trust key to Akari success, Mars Alba says

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran setter Mars Alba is eager to make the most of Akari’s talent by orchestrating a balanced offense in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series. Alba dished out 22 excellent sets and scored eight points in Akari’s second straight win of the tournament, outlasting Farm Fresh, 25-22, 25-27, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12, last

Eala takes on Parks in Hong Kong opener

Nov 1, 2026

Eala takes on Parks in Hong Kong opener

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala faces American Alycia Parks for the third time — this time at the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open in China, where Eala plays her final tournament of the season. Eala and Parks enter their third clash on Monday, if not Tuesday, with a 1-1 head-to-head record. Main draw matches of the tournament which will run until Nov. 8 start on Monday but the order o play wasn't available yet as of writing. World No. 19 and tournament No. 2 seed Eala and world No. 65 Parks were pitted against each other in the draw ceremony Saturday. Parks topped Eala in their first meeting at the Australian Open first round, 0–6, 6–3, 6–2, last January. Eala got back at Parks at the Toronto Open second round, 6–1, 4–6, 6–2, last August. The two netters were coming off their respective campaigns at the WTA 500 Tokyo Open in Japan. Eala reached the quarterfinal where she lost to world No. 13 Diana Shnaider in an epic 3-set battle, 2-6, 6(5)-7, 4-6, last Friday. While Eala didn't make a deep run, she finally broke her Asian Swing "second round wall" and make a breakthrough quarterfinal appearance. Eala could not get past the second round in the previous tournaments of the Asian Swing. The 21-year-old suffered upset losses to world No. 180 Tatiana Prozoroava at the Singapore Open second round and to No. 217 Shi Han in the Wuhan first round. Eala finally scored back-to-back wins in Tokyo, where she defeated world No. 411 and wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic in the opener, 6-1, 6-2, and No. 38 Talia Gibson in the second, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Meanwhile, Parks fell to world No. 144 Mia Pohánková in her quarterfinal bracket, 6-7 (3), 3-6.

World No. 1 Picklum praises Pinay teen

Nov 1, 2026

World No. 1 Picklum praises Pinay teen

DESPITE bowing out of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro, 15-year-old Filipino surfer Mara Lopez earned something more meaningful than a victory after drawing praise from none other than world No. 1 Molly Picklum. The Australian surfing star was impressed by the young La Union native, who faced her in Round 1 and Heat 5, and saw in Lopez a promising talent capable of inspiring the next generation of Filipino surfers. Lopez finished with 4.50 points against Picklum's 11.50 in the competition at the famed Cloud 9 reef break in Siargao on Sunday morning. The young wildcard managed a 2.50-point ride on her third wave and added 2.00 on her fourth. The reigning world No. 1 produced scores of 5.33 and 6.17 to secure the victory in the historic competition presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and backed by Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga. But beyond the result, Picklum was particularly touched after learning that she may have been one of Lopez's inspirations in taking up the sport. "Maybe I'm one of her inspirations. And that stuff to me is just so special," Picklum said, reflecting on her encounter with the young Filipino surfer. Picklum also had encouraging words for Lopez, praising her surfing ability and revealing that the teenager is also an outstanding longboarder. "I said to her, you're surfing so well. And she's also an A-one longboarder," the Australian star said. More than recognizing Lopez's talent, Picklum believes the young surfer can become a role model for other aspiring athletes in the country. "Either way, she's going to inspire the next generation, which is just so cool," she added. The world No. 1 also expressed admiration for Siargao's closely-knit surfing community, pointing out how the small island has built a strong culture around the sport. "Siargao is such a small island and they have such a strong surfing community. So that was really cool," Picklum said. For Lopez, the encounter with one of the sport's biggest names provided a valuable experience despite the early exit. Picklum's words also served as a strong vote of confidence in the young Filipina's ability to make her mark in the sport. Also backing the event are the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), and NEA/Siarelco.

Umandal rediscovers passion for volleyball

Nov 1, 2026

Umandal rediscovers passion for volleyball

JAU Umandal’s love for volleyball resurrected after stepping away from the court for six months. The 28-year-old Umandal admitted that his motivation for the game diminished and was not the same as before — but he was glad that he joined the young VNS (Volleyball Never Stops) Griffins squad, where he rediscovered his passion for the sport once again. Umandal, a 2024 PNVF Men’s Champions League Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a four-time MVP in Spikers’ Turf, assisted VNS in scoring its first win in the 2026 Invitational Conference after a 30-28, 25-20, 25-21 sweep of AFP. “I stepped away for some time. I lost my willingness and my patience, and now, joining this team, I realized a lot. I realized that I am just like them back then, dreaming and trying,” he told the media in Filipino. “I am happy that it all returned; that’s why I am thankful that I was given a chance. I am happy for this opportunity.” Umandal formerly headlined the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup lineup for Alas men, and is a co-captain with Marck Espejo. This time, Umandal is leading a younger group in the local league, and his experience is much needed. “My experience has also expanded too because I am working with a younger generation. We know that there’s a lot to work on, but we train very hard in training so that they can also keep up with the veterans," said Umandal, who was formerly one of the key cogs of the now-defunct Cignal HD Spikers. He was part of the historic silver finish at the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Manila, and he also became one of the team’s anchors in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. He also became the third Filipino men's volleyball player of his generation to secure a professional contract overseas when he signed with Bani Jamra in the Isa bin Rashid Volleyball League in 2022. Umandal, now leading the VNS grassroots team, embraces a new challenge in passing on all the knowledge that he picked up in his years of experience in volleyball.

Alex Eala begins Hong Kong Open bid vs Alycia Parks

Nov 1, 2026

Alex Eala begins Hong Kong Open bid vs Alycia Parks

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala wraps up her Asian swing and breakthrough season at the Hong Kong Open. Eala opens her campaign against American Alycia Parks in the round of 32 on Monday at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium. The 21-year-old Eala and Parks split their first two meetings, which took place this year. READ: Alex Eala aiming

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