A star-studded Rest of the World return to the Philippines as they attempt to make amends from last year’s Asian onslaught and become Reyes Cup champions for the first time.
Only Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Fedor Gorst remain from the team that were heavily defeated in Quezon City, with three Reyes Cup rookies stepping up to the plate and attempting to create history.
Sanchez Ruiz and Shane van Boening qualified as the highest-ranked European and the highest-ranked American respectively, while Gorst and Joshua Filler were named as captain Ralf Souquet’s picks and Aleksa Pecelj received the WNT wildcard.
One of the greatest teams ever assembled involves four world champions with nine US Open titles between them, spearheaded by arguably the greatest European player of all time in Souquet as skipper.
Joshua Filler
WNT ranking: 5
FargoRate: 866 (1st)
Insidesp.in Rating: 841.3 (1st)
Race to Reyes Cup earnings: $77,640
Reyes Cup experience: Debut
Overall: 0-0
Singles: 0-0
Doubles: 0-0
Joshua Filler requires no explanation. One of the greatest players in the history of the Mosconi Cup, finally makes an anticipated Reyes Cup debut, having infamously been removed from the European team two years ago due to ‘concerns over contractual obligations and team integrity’.
Reigning two-time UK Open champion Filler boasts one of the best Mosconi Cup records, notably winning 13 of his 17 singles matches. Having Filler on their team will be immediate boost of both confidence and morale for his teammates and he could be the catalyst for a Rest of the World triumph.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
WNT ranking: 3
FargoRate: 848 (4th)
Insidesp.in Rating: 772.7 (5th)
Race to Reyes Cup earnings: $147,275
Reyes Cup experience: Two appearances (2024, 2025)
Overall: 4-10
Singles: 1-2
Doubles: 1-4
As the only mainstay on the Rest of the World or European teams, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz has become all too familiar with heading to the Philippines and being on the receiving end of a heavy defeat. The Spaniard will be determined to right those wrongs this time around, fresh off the back of winning a second US Open title.
Sanchez Ruiz heads to Makati in fine form, reaching at least the quarter-finals of four of his last five individual events. He also won the recent World 10-Ball Doubles Championship for Spain alongside David Alcaide – ideal preparation for a revamped Reyes Cup involving plenty of doubles matches.
Shane van Boening
WNT ranking: 14
FargoRate: 848 (6th)
Insidesp.in Rating: 795.4 (3rd)
Race to Reyes Cup earnings: $55,000
Reyes Cup experience: Debut
Overall: 0-0
Singles: 0-0
Doubles: 0-0
Someone with the experience of Shane van Boening making his debut is an uncommon occurrence but the legendary American is one of three Rest of the World rookies. His Florida Open success in August earned him a Reyes Cup bow and a return to the Philippines.
2021 world champion Van Boening will be eyeing a rare triumph in a teams contest, having reigned victorious in just three of his 19 Mosconi Cup appearances and somewhat flattered to deceive at that particular tournament.
Fedor Gorst
WNT ranking: 4
FargoRate: 851 (2nd)
Insidesp.in Rating: 780.1 (4th)
Race to Reyes Cup earnings: $30,870
Reyes Cup experience: One appearance (2025)
Overall: 1-6
Singles: 0-1
Doubles: 0-3
Fedor Gorst and underperforming are not usually two things that correlate, but he did not win any singles or doubles points last year and the two-time world champion’s form has been questionable since then.
A winner of the World Championship, the US Open and the World Masters two years ago, Gorst will have an element of pressure alongside Sanchez Ruiz as the only remaining members of last year’s team that were on the wrong side of an Asian onslaught.
Aleksa Pecelj
WNT ranking: 17
FargoRate: 813 (47th)
Insidesp.in Rating: 767.0 (7th)
Race to Reyes Cup earnings: $62,170
Reyes Cup experience: 0-0
Overall: 0-0
Singles: 0-0
Doubles: 0-0
Accompanying four esteemed world champions on a star-studded team is a pretty daunting prospect, although 26-year-old Aleksa Pecelj, the reigning Phoenix Open champion, has thoroughly earned his opportunity following the greatest spell of his career.
Pecelj defeated Joshua Filler, Shane van Boening, Aloysius Yapp and Robbie Capito during a stellar month, which also involved an Arizona Open final and a US Open semi-final, before an incredible month was capped off by receiving the WNT wildcard.
Pecelj could be at a slight disadvantage to his fellow competitors after not getting an invite to the recent World 10-Ball Championship. However, the Serbian will be rested and raring to go, with his fellow Reyes Cup players competing off the back of a busy few weeks in Vietnam and Indonesia.
