From August 25–30, the Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas hosts the 49th edition of the US Open Pool Championship, as 256 players, involving more than 50 countries and 16 past champions, chase a record $500,000 prize fund.
With the tournament arriving at the tail end of a dramatic, action-packed August swing that has already produced three different major champions, here are ten players of differing world rankings to keep an eye on.
Aloysius Yapp
The defending champion arrives as the man to beat. Yapp’s 2025 was one of the greatest seasons in modern history – he became the first player ever to win three consecutive major open championships, a run that included his long-awaited US Open title and carried him to world number one.
Despite experiencing a rockier 2026, including a notable abrupt end to his Florida Open defence after defeats to BJ Ussery and Cristopher Tevez, but Yapp remains the top seed in Frisco and will be desperate to prove those results were blips rather than a trend as he defends his crown.
Fedor Gorst
Fedor Gorst remains the sport’s most complete player when he’s on form – a two-time world champion who achieved an historic slam in 2024 by winning the World Pool Masters, World Championship and US Open Championship in the same year.
He’s endured some uncharacteristic upsets this season, including early exits from the European Open, UK Open and more recently the Arizona Open. That only sharpens the intrigue around whether he can rediscover his best form in an attempt to reach a fourth successive US Open final – something only previously achieved by the great Efren Reyes.
Shane van Boening
Nobody has won the US Open more times than Shane van Boening. The five-time champion arrives in Frisco in red-hot form, having toppled six major champions on his way to winning the recent Florida Open and stretched that winning streak to 14 matches in Arizona.
Ending his decade-long wait for a record-breaking sixth US Open crown, which would see him surpass the legendary Earl Strickland, is at the forefront of Van Boening’s feats left to accomplish. It would be rather apt for SVB to achieve history in front of the ESPN cameras.
Joshua Filler
For someone of Joshua Filler’s indisputable quality not to have reached a US Open semi-final since winning the prestigious title seven years ago appears rather underwhelming, although the world number three has reached the last 16 minimum in every edition that he’s competed in bar one.
Filler, the UK Open champion in May, has only been stopped in recent years by Aloysius Yapp, Shane van Boening, Ko Ping-Chung and Eklent Kaci, two of who went on to win the title, and it’s going to take something equally as special to overcome him this time around too.
Jefrey Roda
Aside from 2021 champion Carlo Biado, Jefrey Roda is the most promising of the strong Filipino contingent heading to Texas. Two years on from making the quarter-finals, where he defeated Johann Chua and Wiktor Zielinski, the Chinese Taipei Open champion will be vying to exceed that deep run.
Also a World Championship quarter-finalist, a Hanoi Open semi-finalist and an Arizona Open semi-finalist just two weeks ago, overcoming Joshua Filler along the way, Roda is exactly the type of player capable of going under the radar until the business end.
Jesus Atencio
One of the breakout stars of the past year, Jesus Atencio has evolved from a promising prospect to genuine threat in a hurry. Aggressive, fearless, and improving fast, the Venezuelan is exactly the kind of dark horse capable of inflicting further upsets.
Having attracted attention after stunning Fedor Gorst in last year’s inaugural Florida Open, Atencio has experienced a phenomenal month, reaching the Florida Open semi-finals as well as the Arizona Open quarter-finals. He’s riding a hot streak into Texas.
Aleksa Pecelj
Comeback king Aleksa Pecelj arrives in career-best form, having reached the Arizona Open Championship final and subsequently following that by snapping off the Phoenix Open, rocketing himself into Mosconi Cup contention.
Pecelj has showcased his battling qualities during a truly remarkable month. The Serbian staged one of the most incredible comebacks ever witnessed from 9-1 down against Albert Januarta in the Arizona quarter-finals, before overturning an 8-4 deficit to end Shane van Boening’s winning streak in the last four. His Phoenix Open title was sealed by battling back from 5-0 behind against Oliver Szolnoki in the final.
Three years on from his previous US Open semi-final appearance, when he also fought back from 6-2 down to beat Jayson Shaw in the quarter-finals, Pecelj is peaking at exactly the right time and his grit and determination could prove pivotal.
Albert Januarta
Pool’s newest teenage sensation is impossible to ignore. Indonesia’s Albert Januarta became the youngest-ever WNT ranking event winner when he won on tour at just 17, backing that up with a Premier League semi-final berth and now back-to-back major quarter-finals this month.
Nicknamed ‘The Giant Killer’ for good reason, having inflicted defeats on Aloysius Yapp and Carlo Biado in recent weeks, Januarta plays with a fearlessness well beyond his years and the US Open is the perfect place to showcase his prodigious talents.
Cristopher Tevez
Peru’s Cristopher Tevez enters Frisco with one of the standout results of the summer already on his resume: a 10-8 win over world number one Aloysius Yapp en route to the Florida Open last 16.
One of South America’s most-respected cueists and a former World 10-Ball Championship runner-up, Cristopher Tevez is a tricky opponent to overcome as he competes alongside fellow countryman Gerson Martinez.
Justin Bergman
Back in the US Open fray and as hungry as ever before, Justin Bergman will be vying to impress captain Johan Ruijsink and earn his spot on the American Mosconi Cup team – which was his only intention when announcing his highly-anticipated return to competitive action.
Bergman has claimed some notable victories this month, brushing aside David Alcaide and Arseni Sevastyanov at the Vice City Classic, before receiving plenty of plaudits following his impressive win over world champion Carlo Biado at last week’s Phoenix Open.
