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Squash Player Podcast

Squash Player Magazine

Welcome to the Squash Player Magazine Podcast – where the game’s biggest names go beyond the court.

Produced by Squash Player Magazine – the world’s leading squash publication since 1971 – this podcast brings you in-depth, in-person conversations with the athletes, thinkers and pioneers shaping the sport.

We explore what drives performance, how greatness is built, and what squash reveals about the people who play it.

🎧 New episodes monthly
🎥 Watch on YouTube | 📖 Read at squashplayer.com

Real stories. No lets. Just squash.

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  • 15 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 1 hr 8 min
  • English

Episodes 15

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  • September 1 · 50 min

    Sivasangari Subramaniam: Survival, Pressure & The Road to LA28

    In 2022, Sivasangari Subramaniam was preparing to carry the Malaysian flag at the Commonwealth Games when a life-threatening car accident changed everything. She woke in hospital with a fractured C1 vertebra, little memory of what had happened and no certainty that she would ever play professional squash again. She did. Sivasangari joins the Squash Player Podcast to discuss surviving the crash, the brutal physical and psychological process of rebuilding her career, winning Asian Games gold and the extraordinary London Classic victory that proved she could once again beat the best players in the world. But success brought a different challenge: expectation. Siva talks candidly about perfectionism, putting too much pressure on herself, comparisons with Malaysian icon Nicol David, learning from some of the game's greatest champions and why the accident fundamentally changed her perspective on losing. And with squash heading to LA28, she explains why becoming World No.1 and winning Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal are now the ultimate goals. A conversation about survival, ambition, pressure — and remembering that sometimes it really is only squash.

  • July 1 · 56 min

    Greg Lobban | Fatherhood, Identity & The Olympic Gamble

    In the latest episode of the Squash Player Podcast, former World No.16 Greg Lobban peaks with striking honesty about a career built not on romance, but on work. He has never felt entirely comfortable on court. He never saw himself as one of the game’s natural artists. He did not arrive as a junior prodigy. His best finish at the British Junior Open was 67th. And yet he built a top-20 career. That is what makes this conversation so compelling. It is not the story of someone born for squash. It is the story of someone who made himself hard to beat. Greg talks about fatherhood, the professional grind, the pressure behind the rankings, leaving Scotland to represent Australia, and the Olympic dream that has given him fresh energy ahead of LA28. The result is one of the most honest conversations we have recorded so far. Because not every athlete is living a dream. Some are doing a job.

  • May 27 · 1 hr 23 min

    Roots, Resilience and the Red-Zone: Declan James

    Is squash the most physically demanding sport on earth? Declan James breaks down the frightening data of elite match play and explains why he’s not finished yet. From revealing his Jamaican Olympic ambitions to discussing the "accumulation of marginal gains" with coach Nick Matthew, Declan provides a raw look at the discipline required to stay at the top. A deep dive into the "Dark Knight’s" tactical evolution and his path to LA28

  • May 4 · 43 min

    Simple, Self-Assured and South American: Diego Elias

    Diego Elias joins the podcast to discuss his journey from Lima to the top of the world rankings. He opens up about his on-court efficiency, his responses to TV commentators, and the turning point that forced him to swap beers for professional discipline. Discover the mindset of South America’s greatest-ever squash player.

  • February 2 · 1 hr 38 min

    Laura Massaro: Pressure, Persona & Perfectionism | Squash Player Podcast Ep.10

    Laura Massaro is one of England’s greatest ever squash players — a World Champion, 2x British Open winner, World No.1 and a competitor defined by relentless standards and mental toughness. In this episode of the Squash Player Podcast, Laura reflects on the unseen side of elite success: the pressure of expectation, the emotional cost of chasing perfection, developing her persona, competing against two of the greatest ever (Nicol David and Nour El Sherbini) and how her relationship with squash has evolved since retiring from the professional tour. We talk about the difference between winning and fulfilment, how injuries and burnout reshaped her mindset and why walking away from the tour wasn’t the end of her connection to the sport — but the start of a healthier one. Laura also opens up about identity after sport, learning to let go of control, and what she wishes she had understood earlier in her career.

  • January 12 · 58 min

    Hania El Hammamy: Rivalries, Resilience & Rewriting the Mindset | Squash Player Podcast Ep.9

    Hania El Hammamy is the new Women’s World No.1 — but reaching the top wasn’t the fairytale moment many imagine. In the latest episode of the Squash Player Podcast, Hania opens up about pressure, psychology, rivalry, maturity and identity, explaining why becoming World No.1 mid-season was emotionally unsettling rather than euphoric. She reflects on her fierce rivalry with Nouran Gohar, the hunger that rivalry created, and why part of her felt lost when Gohar stepped away from the tour. Hania explains how desperation once drove her — and how letting go of that desperation ultimately unlocked her best squash. We go beyond results and rankings. Hania speaks candidly about: • Learning to manage expectation and external “noise” • The psychological toll of World Championship defeats • Why mental health and sports psychology transformed her game • Working with Laura Massaro and Danny Massaro for emotional balance • Identity beyond squash and stepping back from the sport • Why rivalry is essential for greatness If you want to understand what elite performance really costs, and what it takes to evolve from prodigy to champion, this is one of the most honest interviews you’ll hear.

  • Dec 1, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min

    Peter Marshall: Two Hands, Two Layoffs & the Will to Return Again | Squash Player Podcast Ep.8

    Peter Marshall was once the future of English squash — World No.2 at just 23 years old, the only man pushing Jansher Khan during his era of dominance and the most recognisable player on tour with his double-handed technique. Then, almost overnight, his career collapsed.In this deeply personal and revealing conversation, Peter shares the full untold story: rising through the junior ranks under Jonah Barrington, battling chronic fatigue syndrome at the peak of his career, refusing a £250,000 insurance payout that would have ended his playing days forever and mounting two incredible comebacks against all odds.We discuss identity, ambition, illness, psychology, overtraining and what it truly takes to return when the world has moved on. Peter reflects on playing Jansher and Jahangir, the brutal training methods of the 90s, the rise of Egyptian squash and how he eventually rediscovered his love for the game.------The Squash Player Podcast brings you long-form, in-depth conversations with the biggest names in the sport — exploring mindset, performance, adversity, culture, training and the stories behind the world’s best players.Previous guests include Ali Farag, Gina Kennedy, Mohamed ElShorbagy, Joey Barrington, Joel Makin, George Parker and more.

  • Oct 1, 2025 · 56 min

    Gina Kennedy: Glory, Gut Pain & Getting Back Up Again | Squash Player Podcast Ep.6

    What happens when the success comes too quickly—and then stops? From Commonwealth glory to the brutal realities of life with ulcerative colitis, Gina Kennedy opens up about her meteoric rise, unexpected setbacks, and her quest to rediscover joy in the game. This is a story about elite sport, pressure, and the strength to start over.

  • Sep 3, 2025 · 1 hr 57 min

    Mohamed ElShorbagy: Mindset, Motivation & the Making of a Champion | Squash Player Podcast Ep.5

    “You have to kill your emotions. If you want to win, you can’t let them get in the way.” Mohamed ElShorbagy has never been like the rest. One of the most driven players squash has ever seen, he’s battled through two decades of reinvention, sacrifice, and scrutiny — a player defined by relentless ambition, emotional control, and a burning desire to win. In this episode of the Squash Player Podcast, ElShorbagy opens up about the sacrifices that shaped him, the selfishness required to become a champion, and the mindset needed to stay there. From leaving Egypt as a teenager to becoming an adopted Briton, mentoring the next generation, and still believing in his ability to win major titles at 35 — this is one of the game’s greats in full voice. Listen now to uncover the psychology of a serial winner and dive deep into legacy, leadership and the lonely road of a champion.

  • Aug 1, 2025 · 58 min

    Joey Barrington: Shadows, Struggles & Finding His Own Path in Squash | Squash Player Podcast Ep.4

    Joey Barrington grew up in the shadow of a legend — his father, Jonah Barrington. In this episode of the Squash Player Podcast, Joey opens up about carving his own path, the struggles that almost derailed him, and how he became the voice that defines the modern game. From rejecting junior squash to rebuilding his life at university, to shaping the identity of Squash TV, Joey’s story is one of reinvention, resilience, and passion for the sport. Watch the full conversation now.

  • Jul 1, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min

    Joel Makin: Grit, Growth & the Relentless Drive to Compete | Squash Player Podcast Ep.3

    In this episode of the Squash Player Podcast, Welsh No.1 Joel Makin sits down for an uncompromising deep dive into the mindset, sacrifices and raw intensity that have defined his career.From building his game around supreme fitness to challenging the norms of coaching and media in squash, Makin opens up like never before. He discusses the moment he knew he had to change everything, the realities of being the player others are gunning for, and why developing a clear identity on court has been central to his rise.

  • Jun 1, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min

    Squash Player Podcast Ep.2 - Nouran Gohar

    In this emotionally honest episode of the Squash Player Podcast, 2024 World Champion Nouran Gohar opens up about burnout, vulnerability and rediscovering love for the game. We talk about the year she nearly walked away from squash, what it took to rebuild and how marriage, friendship, and a little perspective brought her back stronger. In this raw and revealing conversation, Nouran opens up about: • The mental burnout that almost made her quit • Why she asked for help for the first time in her life • Navigating marriage with another elite athlete • Moving to the US—and finding happiness again • Rediscovering joy in squash

  • #1
    May 8, 2025 · 1 hr 14 min

    Squash Player Podcast Ep.1 | Ali Farag

    Welcome to the very first episode of the Squash Player Podcast. Our first guest is four-time World Champion Ali Farag—a player who has not only shaped the modern game, but defined what it means to win with humility, faith, and integrity. This is a different kind of conversation. It’s not about squash tactics. It’s about what happens when you chase greatness, catch it… and realise it isn’t enough. Ali Farag opens up about identity, faith, family, and what really matters — on court and off. In this conversation, Ali opens up about: The pressure of legacy and chasing history Balancing faith and performance during Ramadan Why Harvard changed his life forever How family, faith, and self-doubt shaped his journey And how fatherhood reshaped his squash This is an intimate, revealing conversation with one of the sport’s most admired champions.

Showing 1–15 of 15 episodes