Turnbull leads Aussie charge in Chennai

Empowered by a more positive mindset, national champion Jessica Turnbull says she can now see herself contending for a Commonwealth Games medal in Victoria 2026.

Turnbull (QLD) is the most experienced player in the Australian team that will contest the 2023 World Cup in Chennai, India, from June 13-17, joining teammates Nick Calvert (QLD), Alex Haydon (SA) and Joseph White (NT).

There have been several major retirements since last year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games, including former world no.1s Rachael Grinham and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Donna Lobban. 

While Turnbull isn’t prepared to call it a changing of the guard in Australian squash, the 27-year-old has most certainly changed her own mindset.

Motivated by her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, Turnbull says she’s now driven to challenge for a medal at the 2026 home Games in Victoria.

“The [Birmingham] Commonwealth Games definitely had a big impact on my mindset,” Turnbull says. “It was a massive tournament, not as fruitful as the team hoped, but I think my mindset has completely changed. I’m a completely different athlete than I was before that and I think my approach to performance is different and has made all the difference.

“I was always a pretty big self-doubter and since Comm Games I think I’ve had that shift where I finally have a little bit of belief in myself. Since then, I’ve had some pretty good results and have been a completely different person on court.”

Turnbull won her first senior Australian title last year, defeating Lobban in the final. But it was a conversation with coach, and brother, Nathan, that sparked the change in confidence.

“He basically just said ‘you’ve made some really good strides here and, if you keep working hard, I think we can get you to a medal in 2026’. I was like ‘right, if someone believes in me that much, surely I can believe in myself enough to get a couple of good results’.

"It’s been a different mindset going into events now, instead of being concerned about external things, all I can do is my best - and at the moment that best has been pretty good.

“Anyone who you talk to [in squash], 2026 is a goal for them. Medalling is a pretty lofty goal but it’s a huge motivating factor for me. In 2026, I’ll be 31 and I’m looking at it as my last hurrah … everything’s getting me towards 2026.”

Turnbull says a key to her confidence shift has been blocking out external distractions during a tournament. That will be a key to success in Chennai, with the tournament taking place in a glass show-court in the middle of a bustling shopping mall.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to play on very many glass courts, but the ones I have played on have been in arenas,” Turnbull says. “There’ll be people walking past, it’ll be really exciting, all the different noises, sounds and the hot temperatures.”

It is the first time the unique mixed team event has been held in Chennai since 2011, with Australia competing against teams from: Colombia; Egypt; Hong Kong, China; India; Japan; Malaysia; and South Africa.

The dynamic format will see games played to seven points, with no need to win games by a margin of two points. 

“It’ll be interesting, sudden death at six-all,” Turnbull says. “It’ll be hard and sharp, fitness will be less of a factor. You’ve got to be careful with shot selection."

For more on the tournament go to https://www.worldsquash.org/what-is-the-chennai-squash-world-cup/