CEO MESSAGE – 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW

It has been a milestone year for squash in Australia — a year that not only celebrated the sport’s resurgence on home soil but also set us up for an even brighter future as we build towards LA 2028.

Our premier event, the 2025 Easy Times Brewing Co. Squash Australian Open, was undoubtedly one of the most transformational moments for the sport in decades. Elevated to PSA Gold status, the event delivered record crowds, unprecedented media coverage, and an atmosphere that reignited the passion of the squash community across the country.

From its home at Brisbane’s South Bank Piazza, the Australian Open brought together world-class athletes, fans, and families in a celebration of squash both on and off the court. The response was extraordinary — with record attendance, record sponsorship, a broadcast deal with SBS Australia, and some of the best players in the world taking part.

To deliver the event just days after a tropical cyclone swept through the region was a testament to the resilience, teamwork, and passion of everyone involved. My sincere thanks to the Squash Australia team whose commitment ensured the event not only went ahead but thrived.

Following its success, I am thrilled to confirm that the Squash Australian Open will return to Brisbane’s South Bank in 2026. Tickets for this world-class event are already on sale, and I encourage everyone to secure their seats early — it’s shaping up to be another unforgettable week for our sport.

Beyond the Open, we have continued to strengthen our national events calendar and international presence. Our athletes converged on Moreton Bay for the Australian National Championships, with Alex Haydon winning her maiden title and Joseph White securing his second successive national title.

The Australian Junior Open will remain in Melbourne for a further two years after a hugely successful event in April again attracting record entries and a strong international field, and we thank the Victorian Government for its ongoing support.

In an exciting development for the competition, the 2026 event has been included in the Asian Squash Federation’s (ASF) 2026 Asian Junior Super Series as a Silver status event, providing our Aussie junior athletes with the opportunity to experience the different playing styles and approaches to the game that Asian Federation players will bring.

We were also delighted with the announcement that Perth will host the 2026 World Masters Championships, marking the event’s return to Australian soil for the first time since 2001. With more than a thousand competitors expected from around the world, it will be a wonderful celebration of squash and community.

On the performance front, the LA28 Olympic campaign continues to build momentum. The inclusion of squash in the Los Angeles Games has inspired our athletes and strengthened our high-performance pathways. Support from the  Australian Institute of Sport for our 2032+ High Performance Strategy – Inspiring Sustainable Success has been vital, ensuring our athletes are well supported and that our National Performance Centre on the Gold Coast continues to evolve as a world-class daily training environment..

Our junior and national teams continue to represent Australia proudly across the globe — from the World Junior Championships in Cairo, Egypt to the World Cup Team that recently competed in India, and a victorious campaign at the Junior Trans-Tasman Series in New Zealand where Australia won for the first time away from home. Each competition reinforces the depth of talent emerging through our ranks.

Off the court, we have continued to modernise and strengthen the foundations of the sport. The national membership platform, MySquashAUS, is now fully integrated and operational, streamlining player registration, competitions, and ratings with SquashLevels. This digital transformation is one of the most significant reforms in our sport’s history, providing the tools to manage participation more efficiently and effectively nationwide.

At the grassroots, our national participation program Squash Stars continues to grow with increased activations in schools and community centres nationwide. The next phase — expanding Squash Stars into clubs and facilities — will launch in early 2026, supported by the Australian Sports Commission’s Play Well funding program and powered by a new partnership with Dunlop.

Our Annual Awards in March once again formed part of the festival of squash surrounding the Australian Open, with a memorable night celebrating excellence at every level of the game. It was particularly special to honour Geoff Hunt and Michelle Martin on their induction into the PSA Hall of Fame and honour Betty Meagher posthumously into the Squash Australia Hall of Fame, recognising their extraordinary contribution to the sport globally.

To our Board, staff, states, territories, clubs, players, volunteers, coaches, referees, and partners — thank you. Your commitment, collaboration, and belief in the direction we’re heading have been instrumental in reigniting squash in this country.

Personally, I’m honoured to have extended my time leading Squash Australia through to the end of 2028. With the return of the Australian Open to Brisbane in 2026, the World Masters Championships in Perth, and the journey toward squash’s Olympic debut in LA28, the next few years will be some of the most exciting in our sport’s history.

We’ve built a strong foundation — from participation programs and digital systems to world-class events and performance pathways — and the momentum is real. Together, we are shaping a new era for Squash In Australia.

I wish everyone across our squash community a happy and safe festive season and look forward to an even bigger year ahead.

Robert Donaghue, CEO Squash Australia