Grilo and Jans Take Different Roads to Toronto Heyball Titles
One final was measured control. The other came down to a shootout. Toronto crowned Joao Grilo and Wendy Jans after five days of international Heyball.
Joao Grilo and Wendy Jans left Toronto as the 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open champions, but their finals could hardly have followed more different scripts.
Grilo controlled the men's title match and beat Jordan Shepherd 7-4. Jans had to survive a 5-5 deadlock against Veronika Halliday before winning the shootout 4-1 for a 6-5 overall victory.
The five-day event ran from October 26 to 30 and offered a combined prize fund of $116,000. Each champion earned $10,000, while the men's and women's divisions received equal $58,000 allocations.
How did Grilo take control of the men's final?
Grilo set the pace early against Shepherd and never allowed the match to become a late scramble. The Portuguese player built his advantage through composed shot selection, then protected it as Shepherd tried to reduce the deficit.
The 7-4 score reflects a final decided by sustained control rather than one dramatic swing. Grilo kept the match in the areas he preferred and closed the door before the British finalist could create a deciding-frame situation.
It was a valuable win in ranking terms as well. The WPA standings dated October 30 list Grilo fourth in men's Heyball with 18,036 points, including 3,240 from the North American Open.
Shepherd's runner-up finish added 2,916 points and placed him third on 22,140. Arfan Dad of Pakistan and Karol Skowerski of Poland shared third place in Toronto.
Why was the women's final decided by a shootout?
Jans and Halliday reached 5-5 when the match clock expired. That sent the championship into a best-of-five shootout, where a full week of match play was reduced to a handful of isolated attempts.
Both finalists converted their first shots. The balance changed when Halliday missed her next three attempts, while Jans continued to score. The Belgian won the shootout 4-1 and the match 6-5.
That finish reversed Jans's result from the 2025 North American event in Mexico, where she had been runner-up. Twelve months later, she returned to the same stage and completed the last step.
The victory also strengthened her place near the top of the WPA women's Heyball ranking. Jans sits second with 24,876 points after receiving 3,240 for the Toronto title. Halliday collected 2,916 points and is seventh on 16,272.
Sara Rocha of Portugal and Eylul Kibaroglu of Turkiye were the women's joint bronze medalists.
What were the final standings in Toronto?
| Division | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Joint third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Joao Grilo (Portugal) | Jordan Shepherd (Great Britain) | 7-4 | Arfan Dad, Karol Skowerski |
| Women | Wendy Jans (Belgium) | Veronika Halliday (Germany) | 6-5 after shootout | Sara Rocha, Eylul Kibaroglu |
The two scorelines show the range of pressure created by timed Heyball. Grilo built enough separation to avoid late uncertainty. Jans and Halliday reached the clock together, turning the title into a precision test with no room for recovery.
How was the prize fund divided?
The $116,000 purse was split evenly between the two competitions. Each division carried $58,000, and both champions received the same $10,000 first prize.
| Prize category | Men's division | Women's division |
|---|---|---|
| Total allocation | $58,000 | $58,000 |
| Champion's prize | $10,000 | $10,000 |
Equal prize allocations gave the two finals identical financial weight, even though their competitive rhythms were completely different. It also allowed the tournament to present the men's and women's titles as parallel headline events rather than a main draw and a secondary competition.
What does the result change in the WPA rankings?
The Toronto points kept Jack Whelan at No. 1 in the men's standings with 24,588 points. Dad is second on 22,284, Shepherd third on 22,140 and Grilo fourth on 18,036.
In the women's table, Waratthanun Sukritthanes remains first with 27,792 points. Jans closed the event in second on 24,876, ahead of April Larson on 19,618 and Narantuya Bayarsaikhan on 18,756.
Toronto therefore produced two champions without changing either ranking leader. The larger movement came directly behind the top spots, where the finalists added points that may matter for future draws and qualification positions.
Why did the Toronto event matter beyond the finals?
The field brought together players from several continents and moved through qualifying, double-elimination battles and a knockout phase before the medal rounds. The final podiums included athletes from Portugal, Great Britain, Pakistan, Poland, Belgium, Germany and Turkiye.
That spread matters for a discipline still building a wider international calendar. Toronto did not produce a podium dominated by one national program. It showed competitive depth across Europe and Asia, with the host continent providing the stage for a genuinely international field.
For Grilo, the week ended with a controlled final and a move deeper into the leading ranking group. For Jans, it ended with a shootout victory that settled unfinished business from 2025.
Two champions. Two very different ways to get there.
Who won the 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open?
Joao Grilo of Portugal won the men's championship, and Wendy Jans of Belgium won the women's title.
What were the final scores?
Grilo defeated Jordan Shepherd 7-4. Jans beat Veronika Halliday 6-5 after winning the shootout 4-1.
How much prize money did each champion receive?
Grilo and Jans each received $10,000. The tournament had a combined purse of $116,000, split equally between the men's and women's divisions.
Where was the tournament played?
The 2026 WPA North American Heyball Open was held in Toronto, Canada, from October 26 to 30.
