Toronto, Canada | October 30, 2026
The 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open concluded in Toronto, Canada, following five days of world-class competition, featuring an international field of leading men’s and women’s Heyball players competing for a combined prize fund of US$116,000.
The tournament, held from October 26–30, brought together athletes from across the world, with the competition reaching its climax through an exciting knockout stage and two memorable championship finals.
Portugal’s João Grilo claimed the Men’s Championship, while Belgium’s Wendy Jans captured the Women’s title, completing an outstanding week of international Heyball competition.
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: JOÃO GRILO TAKES THE CROWN
Portugal’s João Grilo delivered a commanding performance in the Men’s Final, defeating Great Britain’s Jordan Shepherd 7–4 to become the 2026 North American Heyball Open Champion.
Grilo established his authority from the opening stages, playing with confidence and precision to take control of the match. Despite Shepherd’s efforts to fight back, the Portuguese player maintained his advantage and closed out the final to secure the championship.
For Jordan Shepherd, reaching the final represented another significant international performance, adding a runner-up finish to his impressive competitive record.
Men’s Final Standings
🥇 Champion: João Grilo 🇵🇹
🥈 Runner-up: Jordan Shepherd 🇬🇧
🥉 Joint Third: Arfan Dad 🇵🇰
🥉 Joint Third: Karol Skowerski 🇵🇱
WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: WENDY JANS TRIUMPHS IN SHOOTOUT DRAMA
The Women’s Final produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic moments, as Belgium’s Wendy Jans defeated Germany’s Veronika Halliday in a match that went all the way to a shootout.
The two finalists were locked at 5–5 when the match clock expired, forcing the championship to be decided through a best-of-five shootout.
Both players converted their opening attempts, but Jans held her nerve as Halliday missed her next three shots. Jans secured the shootout 4–1, completing a 6–5 overall victory and claiming the Women’s Championship.
The victory was particularly significant for Jans, who had finished as runner-up at the 2025 edition in Mexico. Returning to the international stage in 2026, she went one step further to take home the title.
Veronika Halliday delivered an excellent tournament campaign, finishing as runner-up after a closely contested final.
Women’s Final Standings
🥇 Champion: Wendy Jans 🇧🇪
🥈 Runner-up: Veronika Halliday 🇩🇪
🥉 Joint Third: Sara Rocha 🇵🇹
🥉 Joint Third: Eylul Kibaroglu 🇹🇷
A GLOBAL SHOWCASE OF HEYBALL
The 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open brought together competitors from multiple continents, highlighting the continued international growth of Heyball and the increasing depth of competition across both divisions.
Across five days, the tournament featured intense qualifying rounds, winner-side and loser-side battles, last-16 encounters, quarter-finals, semi-finals and championship finals.
The event also provided audiences worldwide with access to the competition through WPALive.TV, alongside coverage on the USA Cue Sports YouTube channel. WPALive’s broadcast and MultiView coverage brought multiple tables and matches to viewers, expanding the reach of the tournament beyond the venue in Toronto.
With a total prize fund of US$116,000, equally distributed between the men’s and women’s divisions, the event awarded:
- Men’s Division: US$58,000
- Women’s Division: US$58,000
- Champion’s Prize: US$10,000 in each division
THE CHAMPIONS OF TORONTO
The 2026 edition closes with João Grilo and Wendy Jans taking home the men’s and women’s titles after two very different but equally memorable championship finals.
The WPA congratulates all the athletes who participated, the finalists and medal winners, and everyone involved in delivering the event.
Toronto has witnessed another important chapter in the international Heyball calendar, with the 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open reinforcing the sport’s growing presence across the Americas and its expanding global reach.
Congratulations to our champions, João Grilo and Wendy Jans!
2026 WPA North American Heyball Open
Toronto, Canada | October 26–30, 2026
World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA)
