England’s Waters calls time on professional squash career

England’s Alison Waters has announced her retirement from professional squash with immediate effect following a successful 21-year career.

The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist is the most capped England female player of all time, earning 140 caps between 2005 and 2018.

The 37-year-old made her junior debut for England at the WSF World Junior Team Squash Championships in 2001 when England captured gold against Malaysia.

She went on to represent England at senior level, appearing at six WSF World Team Squash Championships winning gold in 2006 and 2014 and helping her country to four runner-up finishes. She also appeared at the European Team Squash Championships eleven times, helping England secure gold at every event.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Waters won silver alongside Peter Barker in the Mixed Doubles event, and bronze in the Women’s Doubles with Emma Beddoes. Three years later, she went on to claim double silver at the World Doubles Championships in Manchester with Jenny Duncalf and Daryl Selby.

London-born Waters turned professional in 2000 and earned a career-high ranking of world no.3. She boasts the third highest all-time unbroken run in the world top 50 (18 years and 11 months). Waters recently competed in her 200th PSA World Tour event, winning 301 matches out of 494. She reached 24 PSA finals and claimed 10 titles - the biggest being the Carol Weymuller Open in 2014.

Away from the Tour, Waters reached the British National Squash Championship finals a record ten times, tasting success in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014.

Waters said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported me over my whole career, especially my family and friends who encouraged me from the very start.

“A huge thanks to England Squash, the English Institute of Sport and Performance Herts for the incredible support over my whole career. I couldn’t have done it without you all.

“It was always a huge honour for me to put on the national colours and represent England. Thanks to all my amazing team mates over the years for so many amazing memories.

“Special thanks to my coach Paul Carter who was in my corner since I was 12-years-old. Thank you for being an amazing coach and for supporting me on and off the squash court. We definitely shared lots of amazing times together, especially on England duty, special moments I will always remember fondly. And thanks for sorting out my forehand swing! That was definitely a coaching miracle!

“Thank you to everyone that has sponsored me, billeted me or helped or supported me in any other way.

“I plan to stay involved with squash through coaching and hopefully sharing my experiences.”

National Coach David Campion said: “Alison has enjoyed a remarkable career and is a legend of English squash. I watched her make that very difficult transition from a top junior player, culminating in winning the World Junior Team Championships in Malaysia 2001, to a world top senior player.

“Alison has been an outstanding team member for England for a very long time, and on behalf of England Squash, I would like to thank her for her extraordinary contribution.

“Alison is one of the most respected players in the game – a fearless competitor who played hard and very fair. A true professional who dedicated her life to the sport, we all wish Alison the very best for the future.”

Waters’ coach Paul Carter said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to play a part in Alison’s career over the last 25 years and I am enormously proud of everything she has achieved as both a junior and senior.

“I wish her every success for the future and look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds.”