The APP Tour made a triumphant return to the Buckeye State for a show-stopping pickleball event in Columbus supporting a great cause. Five gold medal matches put a fitting capstone on the 2026 APP Columbus Open Presented by The James, with champions crowned in front of a fired-up crowd and national television audience.

Jack Munro led the way with two doubles titles – one in mixed doubles with Jill Braverman and a sixth-straight men’s doubles title alongside trusty partner Richard Livornese, Jr. Domenika Turkovic broke through in women’s singles for her first career APP Tour gold medal, APP U.S National Team member Tristan Dussault earned his first career men’s singles title, and Shelby Bates and Christine Maddox teamed up for their second women ‘s doubles title of the season.

Pickle & Chill was the place to be for hundreds of players, ranging from the sport's elite pros, to the AARP Champions (50+) Pro Divisions, to the collegiate showcase featuring Ohio State University and Ohio University to amateur players of all ages and skill levels from the Columbus area and beyond.  

Fans were treated to an in-state rivalry matchup to start the Championship Sunday festivities, with Ohio State and Ohio U’s club pickleball teams facing one another in an exhibition showcase. Ohio State took home the ultimate bragging rights after a hard-fought competition in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The APP Selkirk Collegiate Series hosts the nation’s top club teams in competitions throughout the year, with more information available at TheAPP.global/Collegiate.

The world’s best pickleball pros then took the stage for five thrilling gold medal matches.

‍

Women’s Pro Singles

With each women’s pro singles finalist was seeking their first career APP Tour gold medal, top-seeded Domenika Turkovic battled against No. 3-seed Jessica Evanier, who made her first Championship Sunday appearance since 2023. Turkovic, a native of Croatia and multi-time medalist internationally, erased an early deficit in game one and won 11-8. Game two was equally competitive, but Turkovic pulled away late, 11-7, to clinch the gold.

“It takes a lot of positive self talk, trying to stay in there and moving my body,” Turkovic said on what it takes to win, "If I can just focus on my body and getting through the ball, everything else becomes so much easier.”

Amber Policare won her second-straight APP Tour women’s singles bronze medal.

Men’s Pro Singles

In the men’s pro singles final, No. 2-seed Dusty Boyer faced off against APP U.S. National Team member Tristan Dussault. Game one was neck-and-neck and went in favor of Boyer, 11-9. Dussault came out firing in game two, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and holding on to win 11-7. Dussault, seeking his first career APP Tour men’s pro singles gold, kept his eye on the prize throughout game three en route to an 11-4 win to secure the title.

“Dusty’s a great player and a great friend of mine, so it was fun to battle with him,” said Dussault. “I had to keep my foot on the pedal and not let him get any breathing room, because he was ripping the ball and it was tough.”

Ronan Camron earned the men’s pro singles bronze medal.

Men's Pro Doubles

The upstart duo of Jay Devilliers and Tanner Tomassi were the latest challengers to top seeds Richard Livornese, Jr. and Jack Munro, winners of five straight men’s pro doubles titles heading into Columbus. Not to be denied, Livornese, Jr. and Munro took care of business in game one, 11-7. Devilliers and Tomassi held an early advantage in game two, but Livornese, Jr. and Munro simply could not be denied, winning 11-7 to wrap up men’s doubles title number six in a row. Livornese, Jr. and Munro did not drop a single game throughout the entire men's doubles bracket.

“There were definitely some nerves,” said Livornese, Jr. “We played calm, played our game, they played some great points they got up in that second game, but we did our thing.”

Quang Duong and Aidan Schenk earned men’s pro doubles bronze.

Women's Pro Doubles

Next up on Championship Court was a nailbiting women’s pro doubles final, featuring No. 2 seeds Shelby Bates and Christine Maddox versus No. 4 seeds Glauka Carvajal-Lane and newly crowned women’s singles champion Domenika Turkovic. The teams traded blows in game one, with Bates and Maddox narrowly escaping 11-9. Carvajal-Lane and Turkovic responded furiously, opening game two with an 8-0 lead and holding on, 11-2, to set up game three. Clinging to a 7-6 lead, Bates and Maddox hit the gas pedal and finished it out, winning 11-7 to secure their second women’s doubles golds in three events.

“Christine and I really had to dig in,” Bates said. “Every half a game we had to switch our game plan, because they were switching it up and making it challenging for us. I’m happy we were able to get it together and come out on top.”

Jill Braverman and Emilia Schmidt earned women’s pro doubles bronze.

Mixed Pro Doubles

In a battle of the top two mixed doubles seeds, APP all-time career medals leader Megan Fudge and Aidan Schenk took on Jill Braverman and Jack Munro. The last time the APP Tour was in the state of Ohio, Braverman and Munro teamed up for mixed doubles gold in Cincinnati. The Buckeye State would continue to be kind to that duo, as Braverman and Munro cruised, 11-6, 11-6 to win their second gold medals together this year.  

“It’s just a joy and a pleasure to be able to do this for a living,” said Braverman. “And, it’s the best birthday gift ever – my birthday was on Friday.”

“Jill was one of the first people that believed in me back when I was a 5.0 [player],” added Munro. “I’ll never forget that. From one of my mentors to now my teammate, she’s been amazing.”

Kara Wheatley and Richard Livornese, Jr. earned the mixed pro doubles bronze medals.

AARP Champions (50+) Pro Action
The 2026 APP Columbus Open Presented by The James also saw elite competition for the AARP Champions (50+) Division. Marcello Jardim took home two gold medals – one in men’s doubles with Jaime Oncins and another in mixed doubles with Lee Whitwell. Carolina Lopez Ascarate paired up with Andrea Olson for women’s doubles golds, and Youssef Bouzidi and Karin Ptaszek-Kochis continued their dominant singles seasons with another title each.

Additional Details
Full individual tournament results are available here. Highlights from the 2026 APP Columbus Open Presented by The James will air nationwide on ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network in the coming weeks.

The APP Tour is back in action in just two weeks for the 2026 Humana APP Louisville Open on Oct. 15-18. Player registration and ticket sales are available via  TheAPP.global/Louisville. The pickleball community can stay in the know by following the APP on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn.