Filipino tennis star makes the round of 16 in Miami

The Philippines flag was unfurled after Alex Eala clinced her victory.

The "Eala Effect" is officially back in Florida! Alex Eala of the Philippines just punched her ticket to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open, taking down Poland’s Magda Linette in a gritty 6-3, 7-6(2) battle.

After taking the first set, 6-3, Eala, ranked No 39, found herself ins a battle of resilience in the second set. After Linette gained a 5-4 lead. Eala responded with a 15-shot rally where she was running from corner to corner and ending when Linette tried a drop shot but the fast-reacting Filipino was able to return the ball for the win to tie the set.

This upcoming Round of 16 clash will be the first head-to-head meeting with Karolina Muchova, the tournament's 13th seed. Muchova brings a crafty, all-court game that will be a massive litmus test for the 20-year-old Filipina. Eala is currently hunting for her first career WTA win against a Czech opponent, losing 11 matches to the well-trained Czech tennis pipeline.

        FYI: Alexandre Eala meets Karolina Muchova Monday, March 23, 11 a.m. EDT.

It was a year ago when Eala burst into the tennis world, usually dominated by players from Europe, the US and Australia by reaching the final four stage of the tournament.

Eala reached the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open before losing to Jessica Pegula, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3. This historic run made her the first Filipino tennis player to reach the final four of a WTA 1000 event, having defeated top players including Grand Slam winners Madison Keys and Iga Świątek, rising from world number 140 to 75.

She entered this year's Miami Open ranked No. 29 earning her a first-round bye. In her first match, Eala beat Laura Siegemund in a marathon three sets.

For the FilAm community and the massive "Pinoy Power" contingent in South Florida, this win felt like a statement. Every time Eala stepped to the line, the chants of "Laban!" (Fight!)  echoed through the stands. It’s that unwavering Filipino support that Eala often credits as her "extra lung" during these deep tournament runs. Whether it’s at the Hard Rock Stadium or halfway across the world, the diaspora shows up, and Eala continues to carry that flag with massive pride.

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Documentary will be made of Vanessa Hudgens’ first trip to the Philippines

Vanessa Hudgens and her mother, Gina.

Like many other Filipino Americans, actress Vanessa Hudgens is proud of her family roots. She will be traveling to the Philippines for the first time this month and her trip to her mother's homeland will be filmed and turned into a documentary.

The star of High School Musical and the three Princess Switch movies will be accompanied by her mother Gina Guangco-Hudgens and her younger sister Stella on what promises to be be an emotional journey of self-discovery as she meets her mother's family, visits the part of the Philippines where her mother is originally from.

"My mom is from the Philippines, and growing up, there weren't really that many women who looked like me and my mom and my family on screen. It’s so important to share all the different stories because America is a massive melting pot, [just like the] world," the Hudgens told Glamour UK.

The yet-to-be-named documentary will showcase her close relationship with her mother and family. The film is being produced and directed by Filipino filmmaker Paul Soriano.

“We are honored to work with Vanessa for this film project,” says Soriano. “It’s inspiring to note that with everything she has achieved in life, she wants to discover her Filipino roots and pay homage to her mother’s country. Hopefully, this opens doors for many more collaborations to come.”

Hudgen's mother immigrated to the US at the age of 25 and married Greg Hudgens, a firefighter who died in 2016. 

The singer-dancer-actress did her first feature in the film, Thirteen, but her breakout role as Gabriella Montez was in Disney's High School Musical series. 

Filming of the untitled documentary is slated for later his month and so far, will include shooting in Manila and the island of Palawan.

In the past, Hudgens has expressed the hope that her mother's immigrant story is worthy enough to be made into a movie. 

“I feel like ours is such a relatable story to so many women all over the world,” Hudgens said. “The more that we can share, the more we can lift each other up.”

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