Alex Haydon eyes green and gold in 2022

It’s been a blistering start to the year for Alex Haydon.

The up-and-coming squash player won the women’s event at the Australian Open Doubles in January, alongside Rachael Grinham. Two weeks later, she took out the top prize in the women’s singles at the Gold Coast Open PSA, beating the likes of former world no.1 Grinham and 2018 Commonwealth Games representative Tamika Hunt.

The 20-year-old said her recent results finally make it feel as though she’s made a breakthrough
and has a shot at securing her place on the national senior team.

“I remember this time last year, I wasn't as close to beating these girls,” Haydon said. “It's making the potential for these teams a bit more real.

“I had a really good feeling about 2022, it was going to be a big year.

“I want to level up based on all the work I've already put in and step outside my comfort zone. I think it just comes from the day to day work and the belief in myself.”

Growing up in the Clare Valley in South Australia, which is 100km north of Adelaide, Haydon says she got her start in the sport from her parents, who had the whole family involved in squash.

“My parents were involved with volunteering and we had some of the players from abroad as billets,” she explained.

Her hometown played host to the Australian Open on multiple occasions, which saw Haydon become involved in the sport but also led her family to own a special piece of memorabilia.

“We have a signed copy of a photo of Stewart Boswell from the Australian Open but he doesn’t remember it,” she laughed.

So it was a bit of a full-circle moment when Haydon made the decision to move up to train at the National Squash Centre on the Gold Coast after finishing high school, to train under the National Head coach Boswell.

“I had looked into colleges (in the United States) at the time as well, but had decided the Gold Coast was the best choice for me with Stewart becoming the new head coach, and with the set-up here, which was quite new at the time,” Haydon explained.

“I have loved working with Stewart. He's such a level headed guy. He's very involved and listens to you when you're struggling or need extra help and he is open to so many new ideas as well.

“His playing style and technique is how I want to be able to play as well.”

Unfortunately, just six weeks after moving to the Sunshine State, the pandemic hit.

While the past two years haven’t been what Haydon had hoped they would be after she moved into the senior ranks, it's still given her plenty of opportunities to settle into life in Queensland.

Now, Haydon feels it is the right time to begin training and playing abroad, starting with PSA Challenger Tournaments in Guatemala and France in early March.

“During these two years, I've had some of the top girls to keep challenging myself against and we've all been so supportive of each other and it's really helped me feel like I belong in this space,” Haydon said.

“It’s given me the confidence to go overseas.

“I'm honestly just keen to see where it takes me and just to keep working hard to do my best and hopefully represent Australia.”

With a massive year of major international tournaments on the cards including the WSF World Doubles Championships and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, it gives Haydon the chance to make her senior international debut… something she has long dreamed of.

“I remember Commonwealth Games 2018 coming around and being like ‘I want to make that team’ and I’m very much one to dream big. Obviously, I didn't make that team, it was a bit unrealistic,” laughed Haydon.

“I think my goal is just to be the best squash player I can be and represent Australia, if that means that I become world no.1, that's great, but I'll do myself proud anyway.”