Meet Team Europe – West | MLP Nations Cup 2026
Meet Team Europe – West: Spain, France, Belgium and Scotland Are Coming for Everything!
Three Spaniards, a European champion, Belgium’s first-ever pro and an 18-year-old who has already faced Ben Johns. Europe – West arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash with fiery blood, Mediterranean flair and every intention of blowing up the toughest group in the tournament.
Turn up the Mediterranean music, because the Nations Cup team with the most flavor has arrived!
Team Europe – West unites Spain, France, Belgium and Scotland under one flag, and half of this team speaks Spanish. For our community, that makes this one special: in Dallas, there will be a team shouting out points in our language.
They’re former college tennis players, national champions, pioneers who opened doors in their countries and young guns who fear no one. And they’ll need all of it, because the draw sent them straight into the fire: Team USA with Ben Johns and Anna Bright, Canada and Asia Domestic.
Scared? Not one bit. They’re coming to fight!
The Roster
Captain: Chris Cantino
Judit Castillo (Spain)
Helena Jansen (Spain)
DJ Young (Spain)
Theo Platel (France)
Estée Widdershoven (Belgium)
Will MacKinnon (Scotland)
Chris Cantino: The Captain Of Four Flags
Four countries, six players and one man in charge. Chris Cantino takes on a mission as thrilling as it is complex: turning Spanish fire, French elegance, Belgian grit and Scottish daring into a winning machine.
From the bench he’ll set the pairings, read every match and choose who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. In a group where every point is life or death, his decisions could be the difference between going home and dreaming on.
Judit Castillo: The Queen Who Plays At Home!
Heads up, Dallas! This team’s star lives right here.
Judit is 27, Spanish, and her story is pure courage. She played college tennis at Northwestern State and worked as a director of fitness and racquet sports. Then in 2023 she did the unthinkable: she quit her job to play pickleball full time, after only about a year in the sport!
The result? At her first USA Pickleball National Championships in 2023, she won bronze in women’s pro singles, beating Megan Fudge and Salomé Devidze along the way. And guess where it happened? Farmers Branch, Texas. The very same city hosting the Nations Cup!
And she arrives on fire: just weeks ago she captured the Triple Crown at the P250 Barcelona Open! She won singles, doubles with Hannah Blatt and mixed with Zane Navratil, on home soil in front of her family. “It just feels great to come back to Spain,” she said.
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Now she returns to Farmers Branch, the court where her pro story began. This smells like destiny!
Helena Jansen: The Talent From Palamós!
From the Costa Brava to the biggest courts in America.
Helena is 26, was born in Palamós and started tennis at age 7. She reached No. 190 in the ITF junior rankings, moved to the United States in 2019 to play at Appalachian State and earned a degree in Psychology.
She discovered pickleball in September 2023, and by April 2024 she was making her PPA Tour debut. Her big breakthrough came at the first-ever PPA Challenger Series event: a Triple Crown! Intelligence, technique and a cool head that will be worth gold in Dallas.
Dj Young: The Cannon From Burriana!
Few people hit the ball like he does.
DJ grew up in Burriana, Spain, and moved to Southern California at 13. He spent a decade in junior tennis, burned out, and found his home the moment someone handed him a paddle. A pro since 2018, he’s 26, stands 6'2" and trains in Austin, Texas.
His game is pure entertainment: wrist, power and a strategic mind. He has a final and seven semifinals on the PPA Tour, and when he catches fire, no one can stop him. Now he wears the jersey of Spain, the country where it all began. Vamos, DJ!
Theo Platel: The European Champion!
From Nice, with the hardware to prove it.
Theo is 25 and a multiple-time French Champion and European Champion. He turned pro in 2023 and has since competed on four continents: Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia, reaching the top of the European rankings in singles, men’s doubles and mixed.
He’s a national team veteran who knows what it means to defend the flag. France trusts him, and he rarely lets them down.
Estée Widdershoven: Belgium’s Pioneer!
Some players make history with a trophy. Estée made it with a signature.
In February 2026 she became the first Belgian ever to sign a professional pickleball contract with the PPA Tour. “I was in shock,” she admitted.
Born in Maaseik, she’s 27, came to the United States in 2016 to play college tennis and now lives in Georgia. A job offer to manage an indoor pickleball club changed her life. Now she wants to grow the sport back home, and there’s no bigger stage than the Nations Cup. All of Belgium will be watching!
Will Mackinnon: The Fearless Scot!
He’s 18 years old and already knows what it’s like to face the best on the planet.
This year, at the PPA Hong Kong Slam, he stood across the net from Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio, the most feared team on tour. In Virginia Beach, with Wyatt Stone, he lost the first game 5-11… then stormed back 11-0 and 11-4. That’s how this kid plays!
Now he flies the flag for Scotland. And in Group A, he could meet Ben Johns again. Rematch? We hope so!
Group A: The Group Of Fire!
There’s no hotter group in the entire Nations Cup:
Team USA, the hosts, with Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Tyra Black, CJ Klinger and Will Howells. A team of superstars.
Team Canada, led by captain Steve Deakin and hungry to pull off the upset
Team Asia Domestic, with Augie Ge leading one of the fastest-growing regions in the sport
Europe – West vs. USA will be one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. And with Judit playing at home, the upset is on the table.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
Three Spaniards playing with their hearts on their sleeves. A European champion. A pioneer. A fearless Scot. And a captain on a mission to unite them all.
Europe – West is coming to Dallas to prove that pickleball is also played with Mediterranean passion, and we’ll be cheering them on, in English and in Spanish!
Let’s Go, Europe – West!
Meet Team Europe – West: Spain, France, Belgium and Scotland Are Coming for Everything!
Three Spaniards, a European champion, Belgium’s first-ever pro and an 18-year-old who has already faced Ben Johns. Europe – West arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash with fiery blood, Mediterranean flair and every intention of blowing up the toughest group in the tournament.
Turn up the Mediterranean music, because the Nations Cup team with the most flavor has arrived!
Team Europe – West unites Spain, France, Belgium and Scotland under one flag, and half of this team speaks Spanish. For our community, that makes this one special: in Dallas, there will be a team shouting out points in our language.
They’re former college tennis players, national champions, pioneers who opened doors in their countries and young guns who fear no one. And they’ll need all of it, because the draw sent them straight into the fire: Team USA with Ben Johns and Anna Bright, Canada and Asia Domestic.
Scared? Not one bit. They’re coming to fight!
The Roster
Captain: Chris Cantino
Judit Castillo (Spain)
Helena Jansen (Spain)
DJ Young (Spain)
Theo Platel (France)
Estée Widdershoven (Belgium)
Will MacKinnon (Scotland)
Chris Cantino: The Captain Of Four Flags
Four countries, six players and one man in charge. Chris Cantino takes on a mission as thrilling as it is complex: turning Spanish fire, French elegance, Belgian grit and Scottish daring into a winning machine.
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From the bench he’ll set the pairings, read every match and choose who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. In a group where every point is life or death, his decisions could be the difference between going home and dreaming on.
Judit Castillo: The Queen Who Plays At Home!
Heads up, Dallas! This team’s star lives right here.
Judit is 27, Spanish, and her story is pure courage. She played college tennis at Northwestern State and worked as a director of fitness and racquet sports. Then in 2023 she did the unthinkable: she quit her job to play pickleball full time, after only about a year in the sport!
The result? At her first USA Pickleball National Championships in 2023, she won bronze in women’s pro singles, beating Megan Fudge and Salomé Devidze along the way. And guess where it happened? Farmers Branch, Texas. The very same city hosting the Nations Cup!
And she arrives on fire: just weeks ago she captured the Triple Crown at the P250 Barcelona Open! She won singles, doubles with Hannah Blatt and mixed with Zane Navratil, on home soil in front of her family. “It just feels great to come back to Spain,” she said.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Now she returns to Farmers Branch, the court where her pro story began. This smells like destiny!
Helena Jansen: The Talent From Palamós!
From the Costa Brava to the biggest courts in America.
Helena is 26, was born in Palamós and started tennis at age 7. She reached No. 190 in the ITF junior rankings, moved to the United States in 2019 to play at Appalachian State and earned a degree in Psychology.
She discovered pickleball in September 2023, and by April 2024 she was making her PPA Tour debut. Her big breakthrough came at the first-ever PPA Challenger Series event: a Triple Crown! Intelligence, technique and a cool head that will be worth gold in Dallas.
Dj Young: The Cannon From Burriana!
Few people hit the ball like he does.
DJ grew up in Burriana, Spain, and moved to Southern California at 13. He spent a decade in junior tennis, burned out, and found his home the moment someone handed him a paddle. A pro since 2018, he’s 26, stands 6'2" and trains in Austin, Texas.
His game is pure entertainment: wrist, power and a strategic mind. He has a final and seven semifinals on the PPA Tour, and when he catches fire, no one can stop him. Now he wears the jersey of Spain, the country where it all began. Vamos, DJ!
Theo Platel: The European Champion!
From Nice, with the hardware to prove it.
Theo is 25 and a multiple-time French Champion and European Champion. He turned pro in 2023 and has since competed on four continents: Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia, reaching the top of the European rankings in singles, men’s doubles and mixed.
He’s a national team veteran who knows what it means to defend the flag. France trusts him, and he rarely lets them down.
Estée Widdershoven: Belgium’s Pioneer!
Some players make history with a trophy. Estée made it with a signature.
In February 2026 she became the first Belgian ever to sign a professional pickleball contract with the PPA Tour. “I was in shock,” she admitted.
Born in Maaseik, she’s 27, came to the United States in 2016 to play college tennis and now lives in Georgia. A job offer to manage an indoor pickleball club changed her life. Now she wants to grow the sport back home, and there’s no bigger stage than the Nations Cup. All of Belgium will be watching!
Will Mackinnon: The Fearless Scot!
He’s 18 years old and already knows what it’s like to face the best on the planet.
This year, at the PPA Hong Kong Slam, he stood across the net from Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio, the most feared team on tour. In Virginia Beach, with Wyatt Stone, he lost the first game 5-11… then stormed back 11-0 and 11-4. That’s how this kid plays!
Now he flies the flag for Scotland. And in Group A, he could meet Ben Johns again. Rematch? We hope so!
Group A: The Group Of Fire!
There’s no hotter group in the entire Nations Cup:
Team USA, the hosts, with Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Tyra Black, CJ Klinger and Will Howells. A team of superstars.
Team Canada, led by captain Steve Deakin and hungry to pull off the upset
Team Asia Domestic, with Augie Ge leading one of the fastest-growing regions in the sport
Europe – West vs. USA will be one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. And with Judit playing at home, the upset is on the table.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
Three Spaniards playing with their hearts on their sleeves. A European champion. A pioneer. A fearless Scot. And a captain on a mission to unite them all.
Europe – West is coming to Dallas to prove that pickleball is also played with Mediterranean passion, and we’ll be cheering them on, in English and in Spanish!
