Squash in China has seen participation explode over the past five years, with hundreds of new clubs appearing in major cities around the country to meet a quickly growing appetite for the sport.
The career of China’s Ziyi Liu could parallel the sport’s rise in her home country, with the 19-year-old making history last year by becoming the first Chinese squash player to win a match at The World Games as well as making her second consecutive appearance at the China Open.
While squash is now beginning to flourish in China, it is safe to say things seemed different when Liu first stepped on court ten years ago, moving from the more popular badminton to what was for her an ‘unknown’ sport of squash.
She said: “I started playing squash when I was 10 years old. I originally played badminton, a really popular sport in China. I was playing at my first club, called SECA, with my brother, when I was invited by a squash coach, who had seen me playing badminton, to come onto the court and test out the sport.”
Reflecting on her early days, Liu had no idea at the time, but this decision would change the course of her life as she quickly fell in love with squash, as she added: “I remember there was a bunch of kids that were having a clinic, and my first squash coach, Franco, invited me to play with them, and it was just so much fun.
“I enjoyed the sport so much that when I went home that day, I remember telling my mum that I found this new sport, which eventually became the sport I specialised in.”
Whilst some parents may disregard a sudden passion for a new sport, Liu’s mother embraced her interest, even when she was unaware of the sport herself.
Liu added: “When I was 10-years-old [it felt like] nobody in China knew what squash really was, so when I told her that I had tried this new sport and it was called squash, she genuinely didn’t know what I was talking about.
“But my mum has always been supportive of me and encouraged me to test out everything that I wanted. So, she was willing to go to the centre the next day with me and meet the coach, and from there I was put into structured lessons and classes.”
Whilst most children have a wide range of interests and hobbies, which Liu explored, it was very clear to her that one particular sport stood above the rest.
She said: “When I started playing squash, to begin with I had a lot of passion for the sport. I was always really eager to go to lessons every day, and it was so much fun, I remember doing drills, and being coached and having so much fun playing three-quarters.
“From my experience playing badminton, I realised I always had a feeling for where the ball would go on court, there were a lot of things that I had to adjust from badminton, as they have differences, including grip, footwork, and standing legs, but they always made sure that with the drills, we also had fun playing the squash.”
With a growing love for the sport, and her talents improving, Liu participated in junior tournaments where she began competing against a group of 10 to 15 girls across the region.
She said: “When I first started playing, there were a lot of these junior tournaments held for local students that I would always compete in. We always competed in levelled groups ranked A, B, and C, and I always finished in second or third place in the B and C groups and I could never win.
“However, the turning point for me, and when I realised I should take squash seriously was when I eventually moved up to the top group and played and beat girls that had so often beaten me.”
With growing confidence, by the time she reached Girls Under-17’s, Liu had the opportunity to play overseas at a junior level, where she competed at the Irish Open, and even represented the national team and competing at events such as the East Asian and Asian Open.
“It felt like a big milestone for me in my squash journey, representing the country and having the chance to play against international players,” she continued: “It was a great honour to represent China.”
With the wind in her sails after representing her country, Liu reflected on how she and her teammates became inspired to work harder, chasing the dream of representing China for years to come.
She said: “Squash in China is still developing and growing as a sport, but I feel that every time I compete, I can see growth in every teammate that I am playing and training with.
“So, from playing my first tournament to now, you can see how dedicated to the sport people are and how much they want to improve.”
With the sport growing in its numbers, Liu became an influential figure in Chinese squash when she achieved a historic milestone, securing China’s first-ever win at The World Games with a comeback victory, beating Australia’s Emily Lamb 3-2.
She said: “One of my core memories of the sport was at The World Games in Chengdu last summer, where I got to represent China. That was a big moment for me, with it being held in my home country.
“I spent all summer training and competing with a group of people, as a team, we spent time so much time together, and we were all really close as teammates.”
Liu continued: “We were lower-seeded players and lost the first round, but in the second round of matches, I was able to win. It was so special, as when I won, all of my teammates, officials and coaches congratulated me.
“I was just so happy and honoured to be able to stand there and represent and win in China. There were so many people supporting me, and many who have pushed me to where I am today, so it was such a nice feeling.”
She continued: “It was so special, even to have young kids come up to me wanting a picture with me at the tournament, it was surreal. So, for me, it is actually crazy to see the change in perception for the sport, and I think some of that is to do with how the sport has been promoted in recent years.
“Squash was advertised so well at The World Games, as you had so many people posting about it, you had so many people wanting to play and try it, and in the end, everybody is playing.”
Following the tournament in August 2025, Liu shared that there has been a clear attitude shift to squash in China that has seen the sport continue to build momentum.
She said: “I have noticed a lot of change, like when I was training during COVID-19 times there were five courts that were near my house.
“During that time two of the courts became children’s indoor playgrounds, one transformed into a basketball court, and one was used for table tennis. There was just one court, as nobody wanted to play squash.
“It was pretty lonely for a few years, especially with four of the five court repurposed, so it forced me to play solo most of the time. But to now go to my home club in Shanghai, where there are eight courts, and to see the courts fully booked all the time is incredible.
“It is hard for me to find a good time to play,” the 19-year-old laughed: “Everyone has booked the courts all week and during the weekend from 9am to 8pm, and there is just clinic after clinic.
“I remember there were three to four girls in my category, but now there are 20 to 30 people playing in the younger categories, and they have to play so many matches over the span of two or three days, that change is incredible, and it just makes me smile,” she added.
And after an already growing resume, it seems that the 19-year-old has no intention of slowing down, moving to the opposite side of the world to continue playing squash at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, U.S.A.
She continued: “College has just been a very reflective time for me. I just keep thinking back on the random things that have brought me to where I am today. Not just playing squash but sticking with a sport and ending up at Dartmouth, it’s amazing to think all these have just happened to me.”
However, that hasn’t come without the difficulty of living so far away from her family, as she added: “I think the hardest part was being so far away from my family, as my siblings to do sports as well, so I always was able to talk to someone about sporting struggles and motivations. So, in that sense, it has been hard.
“But I feel like I have transitioned pretty well here, and I have found a supportive group of student athletes who understand the struggle of balancing academics and athletics.”
Nonetheless, with high hopes for the future, Liu shared her ambitions of competing on the PSA Tour in the US, something she has already achieved when she played in the 2024 China Open as a wildcard.
Competing at the 2024 China Open, the 17-year-old played Nadine Shahin in the opening round and reflected on the opportunity competing in front of a supportive crowd at her home court.
She reminisced: “All the tickets were sold out for the day, which was crazy, and it was just amazing to see so many people trying to watch professional squash, and you could see their eyes light up, and know that so many people were going to start their own squash journeys.”
The 19-year-old has since featured in the 2025 China Open in November, and has also played in the Asian Games, before she moved to the US to study.
However, despite moving away it is clear she still has a desire to compete on the PSA Squash Tour, as she added: “Whilst I am in the US studying, I have three more seasons at college and I want to play on the PSA Tour, as I want to get the experience and more confidence.”
With big plans, Liu also has the ambition to continue serving as a beacon for China’s progression in squash, she said: “I have plans to return to China in the summer to train and play in more competitions, and train to be a professional in an intensive squash environment.
“As for me, the aim is to represent China at the Olympics, that’s the big goal.”
