Age Divisions Return to World Doubles Championships

The seventeenth biannual World Squash Federation World Squash Doubles Championships, hosted this year for the first time in Chicago, Illinois, will commence May 6-10 at the Onwentsia Club, additionally the University Club of Chicago, Racquet Club of Chicago, Winter Club of Lake Forest, and the METROsquash Academic and Squash Center, will jointly share the responsibilities of hosting the tournament.

The METROsquash Academic and Squash Center will be celebrating its grand opening in conjunction with the tournament. METROsquash is the first urban squash program to house a doubles court.

Nineteen countries, including Guinea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Sweden, will compete on the international doubles stage. Two defending championship teams—United States’ current world No. 10 Amanda Sobhy & former world No. 1 Natalie Grainger, and Australia’s dominant doubles duo, Damien Mudge & Ben Gould—return to defend their titles.

Notable past champions include Gary Waite (with Damien Mudge), Mark Talbot, Kenton Jernigan, Demer Hollern with Alicia McConnell, and Narelle Krizek with Preston Quick in the mixed. For a full history of the event, see Rob Dinerman’s “A History of the World Doubles Championships, “ from 2013.

The World Squash Doubles Championships first began in 1994 and included selected age groups—players could compete with any partner from any country (the last event played with this format was in 2007), differing from the rules today where teams must be from the same country.

Over its seventeen-year-run, the World Squash Doubles have seen tremendous growth—including larger open divisions for men, women, and mixed, as well as age groups. For the first time teams in the age group division (35+ to 80+ for men, 35+ to 60+ for women, 40+ for mixed) must “share a passport” with their teammate, additionally this is the first year that the WSF has accredited these age divisions alongside the professional draws. Sign up today for a spot in the age group division!

For more information, see the World Squash Federation World Squash Doubles Championships official tournament page.