More than the Score

The Australian Open tennis championships are reaching the end of their first week, but the hottest ticket so far hasn't been Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka.
Instead, observers were stunned by the queues to watch the world number 49, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. Her first-round match had been put on court number 6, leaving many fans disappointed as they were left unable to find a seat. Martina Navratilova was among those who criticised the decision, saying: “The organisers need to keep more in mind where the players are from and what the actual fan base is here."
Inside the court, stands were filled with fans bearing Philippines flags, raucously cheering their 20-year-old hero. But though she took the first set 6-0, her opponent, Alycia Parks, eventually found her feet, taking the next two sets 6-3 6-2 to put Eala out at the first hurdle.
So where did Alexandra Eala come from, and how far can she go in the sport? And could her popularity spark a tennis boom back home?
Ben Rothenberg, editor of the tennis magazine Bounces, has called Alex Eala "the most popular player in tennis right now". He talks to the BBC's Ed Harry about how Eala was catapulted into the spotlight at the 2025 Miami Open, her roots in the game, and how far she could rise.
Kate Reyes, who has covered Alex Eala's rise for the Filipino sport website Spin.ph, discusses why she has found such popularity with the public. She also shares her thoughts on what Eala's success so far could mean for the future of the game in the Philippines.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Scotty James is already one of the greatest snowboarders of all time. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, he won bronze in the halfpipe before following that up with a silver in Beijing four years later. At the age of 31, he's aiming to complete his set of medals by winning gold at the Games in Milan-Cortina.
Ahead of the event in Italy, Ade Adedoyin spoke to Ski Sunday's Tim Warwood about his recent interview with James, and how the Australian compares to fellow greats Shaun White and Ayumu Hirano. James explains why, though he enjoyed great battles with White and Hirano in the past, this year's halfpipe event is the most competitive field he's known.
He also talks about being part of the Stroll family - his wife Chloe is the sister of F1 driver Lance - and why becoming a father hasn't changed his approach to the sport.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

For decades, players, staff and fans have made long, arduous pilgrimages across the globe in the name of sport and elite competition. In 2026, the men's football World Cup takes place across North and Central America, while earlier this year more than 35,000 England cricket fans made the journey from the UK to Australia to watch their team in the men's Ashes. Tommy Lamb was one of those - we hear how he very nearly made the journey without taking a single flight.
Ade Adedoyin is also joined by British football journalist Daniel Storey. He explains why he embarked on a nine-month odyssey to every single one of English football's 92 league clubs, and what he learned about many of the places he visited along the way.
We also hear from Chippie Solomon - a legendary figure in South African rugby union. Chippie is team manager of Cape Town's DHL Stormers. They play in the United Rugby Championship (URC), so are regularly travelling to the UK, Ireland and Italy. Chippie tells Ade about his time spent with former players and Springbok greats Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers. He also explains why the current team are encouraged to sample the local cuisine in every place they visit.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Real Madrid, Manchester United and Celtic have all parted company with their head coach in 2025 while New Zealand's dismissal of Scott Robertson sent shockwaves around international rugby union. Elsewhere, Buffalo Bills' Sean McDermott became the eighth NFL head coach to leave their position in the month of January and the 10th since the start of the season. That was after Buffalo became the first NFL team to win a play-off round in six consecutive seasons but not reach the Super Bowl.
NFL and American sports expert, Mike Carlson, explains to Ed Harry why McDermott's dismissal makes the least sense of the January firings but is part of a wider trend in the sport. The BBC's rugby union correspondent, Chris Jones, says international rugby is unlikely to follow suit despite the All Blacks' unprecedented sacking of Robertson by the three time World Champions.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

At just 22 years old, Cam Little's shirt is already on display in the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That’s after the Jacksonville Jaguars kicker converted a record breaking 68-yard field goal in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 regular season.
What's all the more remarkable is Little didn't see himself taking up a career in the NFL - his initial ambition was to play soccer. He tells the BBC’s David Brindle about his rapid journey through a sport he only started playing seriously five years ago, reflects on the records he’s already broken and discusses his hunger to break more records.

Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore