CHICAGO CROWNED 8 CHAMPIONS AT THE 2026 VLASIC CLASSIC
The Vlasic Classic Chicago Benefiting Shriners Children's closed out with five top-tier finals — and $25,000 raised for a great cause.
After three days of scorching heat, extreme humidity, and elite-level pickleball, the Vlasic Classic Chicago reached its grand finale this Sunday. Danny Cunniff Park handed out eight gold medals on Championship Sunday, with stories for every taste: veterans defending their crown, new pairs debuting with gold, and even a hometown champion celebrating on home turf.
Here's how the five finals that closed out the tournament played out:
Women's Singles: Mendez Gets Her Revenge
Domenika Turkovic came out strong, taking the first game 11-6. But Seone Mendez, looking to avenge her championship loss in Sacramento just months earlier, dug deep and delivered a display of mental toughness — two straight 11-3 sets that gave her the first gold of her season. Katerina Stewart took home the bronze.
Men's Singles: Wazir, Champion At Home
Chicago belongs to Ammar Wazir. The local player dominated from start to finish against Jayden Broderick, the 2026 collegiate champion from Florida Atlantic, with scores of 11-2 and 11-2. It's his second gold of the year, and his second straight title specifically at this event — repeating what he already accomplished in 2025. Ronan Camron took bronze.
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Mixed Doubles: The Power Of Two No. 1s
Katerina Stewart and Ronan Camron, the No. 1-ranked singles pros on the APP Tour for their respective genders, teamed up for the first time and left no room for doubt: 11-5 and 11-6 over Carlota Trevino and Randy Blanco, who were playing their first final together. Megan Fudge and Aidan Schenk took bronze.
Men's Doubles: Munro And Livornese's Three-Peat
Jack Munro and Richard Livornese Jr. made history — their third straight title together on the APP Tour. It wasn't easy: Quang Duong and Patrick Kawka took the first game 11-9, but Munro and Livornese answered with a commanding 11-2 and closed it out 11-6 in the third to seal the three-peat. David Bieger and Zack Marceau took bronze.
Women's Doubles: The Tightest Final Of The Day
Vivian Glozman and Roos Van Reek won the first game 11-8. Amanda Hendry and Emilia Schmidt answered with the same score in the second. Everything came down to a nail-biting third game that Glozman and Van Reek closed out 11-9, claiming their first gold together on the APP Tour. Nicola Schoeman and Selina Turulja took bronze.
The Night That Opened The Tournament With Purpose
Before the finals, the event kicked off on August 5 with the second-ever Pro Invitational in APP Tour history — 16 of the circuit's top pros in a fast-paced mixed doubles format, with an eight-minute timer, no timeouts, and Power Plays for double points. In front of a capacity crowd, Susannah Barr and Brandon Lane took the title over Katerina Stewart and Ronan Camron, 9-8, in a finish decided in the final seconds.
The night raised $25,000 for Shriners Children's, the APP Tour's official charity partner.
More Than Just Pros
Danny Cunniff Park and Club Pickle & Padel in Highland Park welcomed hundreds of players throughout the weekend — from pro tour stars to the AARP Champions (50+) and Masters (60+) divisions, the Humana Cup competition, and amateurs of all ages and skill levels from Chicago and beyond. All medalists secured their spot at the 2026 USA Pickleball National Championships.
Tournament highlights will air nationwide on CBS Sports Network in the coming weeks.
The curtain falls on Chicago. This show leaves us with 8 champions across different categories — warriors who gave every last drop of sweat. The crowd in the stands answered with applause, and those of us watching the YouTube broadcast witnessed a tournament of the highest level — a pickleball show that, with events like this one from the APP Tour, leaves us satisfied and itching to grab a paddle and go play.
See you at the next tournament.
The Vlasic Classic Chicago Benefiting Shriners Children's closed out with five top-tier finals — and $25,000 raised for a great cause.
After three days of scorching heat, extreme humidity, and elite-level pickleball, the Vlasic Classic Chicago reached its grand finale this Sunday. Danny Cunniff Park handed out eight gold medals on Championship Sunday, with stories for every taste: veterans defending their crown, new pairs debuting with gold, and even a hometown champion celebrating on home turf.
Here's how the five finals that closed out the tournament played out:
Women's Singles: Mendez Gets Her Revenge
Domenika Turkovic came out strong, taking the first game 11-6. But Seone Mendez, looking to avenge her championship loss in Sacramento just months earlier, dug deep and delivered a display of mental toughness — two straight 11-3 sets that gave her the first gold of her season. Katerina Stewart took home the bronze.
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Men's Singles: Wazir, Champion At Home
Chicago belongs to Ammar Wazir. The local player dominated from start to finish against Jayden Broderick, the 2026 collegiate champion from Florida Atlantic, with scores of 11-2 and 11-2. It's his second gold of the year, and his second straight title specifically at this event — repeating what he already accomplished in 2025. Ronan Camron took bronze.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mixed Doubles: The Power Of Two No. 1s
Katerina Stewart and Ronan Camron, the No. 1-ranked singles pros on the APP Tour for their respective genders, teamed up for the first time and left no room for doubt: 11-5 and 11-6 over Carlota Trevino and Randy Blanco, who were playing their first final together. Megan Fudge and Aidan Schenk took bronze.
Men's Doubles: Munro And Livornese's Three-Peat
Jack Munro and Richard Livornese Jr. made history — their third straight title together on the APP Tour. It wasn't easy: Quang Duong and Patrick Kawka took the first game 11-9, but Munro and Livornese answered with a commanding 11-2 and closed it out 11-6 in the third to seal the three-peat. David Bieger and Zack Marceau took bronze.
Women's Doubles: The Tightest Final Of The Day
Vivian Glozman and Roos Van Reek won the first game 11-8. Amanda Hendry and Emilia Schmidt answered with the same score in the second. Everything came down to a nail-biting third game that Glozman and Van Reek closed out 11-9, claiming their first gold together on the APP Tour. Nicola Schoeman and Selina Turulja took bronze.
The Night That Opened The Tournament With Purpose
Before the finals, the event kicked off on August 5 with the second-ever Pro Invitational in APP Tour history — 16 of the circuit's top pros in a fast-paced mixed doubles format, with an eight-minute timer, no timeouts, and Power Plays for double points. In front of a capacity crowd, Susannah Barr and Brandon Lane took the title over Katerina Stewart and Ronan Camron, 9-8, in a finish decided in the final seconds.
The night raised $25,000 for Shriners Children's, the APP Tour's official charity partner.
More Than Just Pros
Danny Cunniff Park and Club Pickle & Padel in Highland Park welcomed hundreds of players throughout the weekend — from pro tour stars to the AARP Champions (50+) and Masters (60+) divisions, the Humana Cup competition, and amateurs of all ages and skill levels from Chicago and beyond. All medalists secured their spot at the 2026 USA Pickleball National Championships.
Tournament highlights will air nationwide on CBS Sports Network in the coming weeks.
The curtain falls on Chicago. This show leaves us with 8 champions across different categories — warriors who gave every last drop of sweat. The crowd in the stands answered with applause, and those of us watching the YouTube broadcast witnessed a tournament of the highest level — a pickleball show that, with events like this one from the APP Tour, leaves us satisfied and itching to grab a paddle and go play.
See you at the next tournament.
