Auguste Dussourd (pictured above)
Squash player, Aix-en-Provence, France
Do you have a favorite pre-match hype song?
The song depends on the moment and on my mood. Most of the time, it’s some French rap. One French rapper I like is called Booba, and another is Gazo. But sometimes I’m in the mood for Latin music so I’ll listen to Bad Bunny. My girlfriend travels quite often with me, and she gets so pissed off because I’ll play the same song 20 times in a row.
How did you two meet?
We met in the U.S. Junior Open. She was a big fan. She asked me to sign her T-shirt. Nah, I’m kidding. She used to be a squash player, and we were playing the same event and we started to talk. She is from Mexico, and I didn’t speak English or Spanish at the time, so it was quite tough to communicate. I was just saying “yes” to everything she was saying.
Tarek Momen
Squash player, Cairo, Egypt
Satomi Watanabe
Squash player, London, England
Olivia Weaver
Squash player, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
How did you get into squash?
My parents were looking to keep me busy, and they signed me up for a squash clinic when I was 5 years old. I pretty much instantly loved it. It probably didn’t hurt that the more targets you hit in the clinic, the more candy you got at the end.
Nicolas Müller
Squash player, Hirzel, Switzerland
Are you missing Switzerland right now?
You know, nothing beats your own bed. And I do like my country’s tap water. And, obviously, having nice bread. The bread isn’t the same anywhere else.
Grégoire Marche
Squash player, Aix-en-Provence, France
Dimitri Steinmann
Squash player and lance corporal, Zurich, Switzerland
Sarah-Jane Perry
Squash player, Kenilworth, England
Mike Riley
Referee, Bristol, Rhode Island
Victor Crouin
Squash player, Toulon, France
Do you have a pre-match ritual?
When it gets really close to game time, I remove my AirPods so I can get into the mood and the sound of the court. Grand Central is quite loud, and it’s important to adapt to the atmosphere instead of just being in your zone.
Sivasangari Subramaniam
Squash player, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Baptiste Masotti
Squash player, Aix-en-Provence, France
Leonel Cárdenas Mora
Squash player, Mexico City, Mexico
What’s next for you after the tournament?
Well, I’m getting a new dog — it’s called a calupoh, and it’s a mix between a dog and a wolf. The puppies were just born, and I’m getting one within the next month. I think I’m going to give it an old Mexican name — like from the Nahuatl language. I’m going to call it a word that means “shadow,” because these dogs are full, full black.
Amanda Sobhy
Squash player, Boca Raton, Florida
Do you have an ultimate squash dream?
I’m coming back from my second Achilles rupture. When it happened, I was like, Why me? But then I flipped the script and decided my goal is to compete in the 2028 Olympics. I don’t know of an athlete who has done that after two Achilles ruptures, so it would be a really awesome comeback story. That has motivated me.
Christopher Gordon
SquashTV commentator, Jackson Heights
Sana Mahmoud Ibrahim
Squash player and college student, Cairo, Egypt
Mohamed Zakaria, Squash player and 12th-grader, Alexandria, Egypt
Ali Farag
Squash player, Cairo, Egypt
You’re the world’s No. 1 player. Do you get recognized?
I’ve been stopped by people within the squash world. But the sport’s profile is not that big. I always tell my wife, who is the former world No. 3, that we are in the sweet spot — we are appreciated by many, which gives you self-esteem, but we can also live our lives. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Lisa Aitken
Squash player, Edinburgh, Scotland
Photographs by Frankie Alduino
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