WJC Profile: Dylan Classen

Here’s a secret that Perth squash player Dylan Classen hasn’t even told his best friend and twin, Erin.

The pair will both represent Australia at July’s WSF World Junior Championships in Melbourne, but it could well have been just one if not for a little sibling jealousy.

“I don’t think she knows this, but her doing so well in juniors, it kind of made me a little bit jealous and pushed me to try my best,” says Dylan, 18.

“She used to win every tournament and I was stuck coming in fifth or sixth place. So, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been the player I am. I’m very grateful for what she’s done.”

Dylan laughs, as he explains the biggest difference between the twins. “That’s easy, she’s an introvert and I’m an extrovert, I’ve always been the loud one,” he says.

Identifying the biggest thing they have in common is just as easy. “It’s our value of family and how important it is to us.”

Indeed, the WSF World Junior Championships will double as a family reunion for the Classen twins, who have separately been travelling the globe this year after finishing Year 12 in 2022. 

Erin has been touring and playing in Europe, while Dylan has been in Cape Town, South Africa, where the twins were born. He’s been using the gap year to reunite with extended family, learn the family business (pies) and prepare for tertiary study in accountancy. While separated, the twins have tried to speak on phone every day.

“By the time we catch up again, it will have been nine months,” Dylan says. “Worlds is going to be really special for me because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my mum and sister, so it’ll be really nice.”

The Classens relocated to Perth when the twins were four. Squash was the family sport, though Dylan wasn’t convinced initially.

“At first, I was an AFL player and no sport was going to change my mind,” Dylan says. “I think the first time I hit a squash ball I was 8-years-old and thought ‘whose idea was it for this sport, hitting a ball against a wall?’.

“But, hitting around with my sister and my family, I fell in love with it. We did well in our first tournaments and it just went from there.”

The gap year in South Africa has enabled Dylan to intensify his training, with two or three sessions a day. He wants to play international PSA Tournaments while studying and has a goal to each top 50 in the world.

He’s targeting an ambitious top 15 finish at the WSF World Junior Championships in Melbourne and is just as keen to see how Erin goes too.

Dylan and Erin have won junior national mixed titles together, but Dylan says Erin, three minutes older, has always led the way.

“I always make the joke we want world twin domination in doubles,” Dylan says. “I’ve mentioned to Erin about Commonwealth Games mixed doubles and she just laughs, but you never know.

“I’m really excited to see how she plays [at the WSF World Junior Championships]. “Erin has a natural drive to improve wherever she can.

“She’s my twin, but she’s also my best friend, and I’m very grateful for that.”

Dylan is also proud that he’s been able to improve his results every year on the Australian Junior Championships, finishing third at the last tournament. Representing Australia at the World Junior Championships, on home soil, he says will be his greatest achievement so far.

“I’ve started to think more about it recently, but not a lot of people can say they were selected to represent their country in something. I represented Australia last year at the worlds so to have that honour again, here in Australia, that means a lot to me.”