During Covid, a then teenage Englishman Will Salter built a squash court in a farm building where he was in lockdown with his parents.
When the UK government rules lifted, Salter went on a run of three PSA tour titles in four appearances through 2022. He was still a student at University of Birmingham and is now into his second season as a fully-fledged professional on tour, despite playing “more or less every day for the last four years.”
He was dealt a tough hand at the start of the season, drawing Mohamed ElShorbagy in a British Nationals first round defeat. Salter, now just inside the top 200, relished the chance after coming through two five-game qualifying matches.
“I am hopeful that now my degree is over I can make a big push and climb up the rankings this season,” he says.
“It’s tough starting out and you do need some financial backing behind you if you want to make it to the top. That’s how it is.”
With no financial sponsors and parents help out, he does have backing from Unsquashable and was helped at the Nationals by billeting with one of the St George’s Hill members.
Four years ago, creativity “saved me” after the building blocks were put in place to what became a near squash court.
“We started off with a wooden panel on the wall just for me to do some volleys against, expecting the lockdown to last a week,” he recalls.
“As it went on and on, we built the wall wider and wider and then we decided to make a little court.
“After a few months it turned into most of a court and training up to eight hours a day doing ghosting and hitting all sorts. I was posting videos online and Stingray gave me a ball machine and my dad was feeding me.
“It was a good time for me in my development to work things out on my own and what kind of player I wanted to be.”
His parents have since moved from the farm earlier this year.
“I don’t know how it’s doing and I’m hoping they [the new buyers] kept it,” he smiles.
Spool forward from 2020 to the same timeframe and LA2028 is on the horizon.
“I love the Olympics and every time I watch it, I want to pick up a new sport,” he admits. “One winter Olympics, I wanted to be a speed skater. Now squash is in, there is such a buzz. It’s a dream come true that it’s in.”