Elite Squash as a driver of squash development: Victor Crouin’s perspective

After my last article "High-level squash: a lever for developing the sport? Interview with Rémy Mabillon (Annecy sponsor until 2025)", I had an in-depth discussion with our dear French No. 1: Victor Crouin. A rare-quality exchange between two squash fanatics who have each, in their own way, made it their profession.

"Well of course high-level squash can contribute to the development of squash, Lilian!" Okay, that’s not exactly what he said… but that’s pretty much what he meant. So, we took the time to talk it through!

Lilian Vimal de Murs

Director at Société Sportive de Jeu de Paume et de Racquets, Paris France

A meeting that stings 🎯🔥

Our first meeting? My very first tournament. I ran into Victor in the first round. I was three years older and two heads taller than him. I told my coach: "I’m going to crush this little guy." The result?

• First game: 11–0. Well… I’m stressed.

• Second: 11–9. That’s it, I’ve got it!

• Third: 11–0. Welcome to the world of squash. 😂

Victor today 👋🇫🇷

Victor Crouin, world No. 11, is an active figure in international squash. Originally from La Valette, near Toulon, he grew up in a club where his father was both deputy director and coach.

What stands out about him today is his reflection on the sport as a whole. Unlike many high-level athletes who focus solely on their own performance, he also wants to understand how to advance squash as a discipline. He’s active on social media, shares his passion, plays with kids whenever he can, and isn’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. He’s not content to just perform: he wants to understand, to pass on knowledge, to help his sport grow.

It’s in this context that he reacted to an article where I argued that high-level performance had no direct link with the general development of squash. Victor disagreed. Perfect — we could talk about it.

Elite Squash: a product to sell 🛠️🎯📈

"Elite Squash is a product. You have to learn how to sell it, make it desirable, visible, distribute it, and above all, make it known."

Victor gives the example of tennis: in any club, discussions revolve around the pros. As a kid, he wanted "Nadal’s racket."

And squash? It has its champions — but no one uses them.

"High-level sport is like a screwdriver. A good tool. But if you don’t know how to use it, you’ll build crappy furniture."So the problem isn’t the tool itself, but how it’s used. Which means — you need a strategy.

Okay, Victor, fair enough… but then, how do we do it?

The La Valette example 🏡📣

At his father’s club in La Valette, near Toulon, the restaurant’s placemats printed the results of the club’s players. Curious customers would ask: "Who’s this kid?" And they’d answer: "That’s the No. 1 French player. Want to give it a try?"

Even today, when Victor trains in a club, people stop to watch, to talk, to have a beer while watching him play. It’s a natural engine for activity.

High-level sport becomes a living medium: it attracts, intrigues, inspires. It triggers consumption, emotion, progress — and often loyalty.

The fundamental role of the coach: beyond the ball-pusher 👨🏫💬

Victor is adamant: a club cannot survive without a committed coach. For a long time, we had “squash pros” who went from one club to another, motorcycle helmet on their head, without any local roots or involvement. Clubs didn’t want to hire: too expensive to employ people, and giving lessons for cash — that’s not a life.

A good coach is:

• 🧠 A trainer: follows players, builds cycles, thinks about progression.

• 💬 An educator: passes on values, introduces the great players.

• 🎉 An animator: organizes tournaments, sells equipment, builds community, organizes matches, looks for partners.

Yes, it’s more expensive than a roaming pro. But it’s an investment that keeps the club alive in the long run — and it pays off (new players, playing more often, buying equipment, etc.).

Victor’s dream? A trained, certified coach in every club.

The virtuous circle: youth, families, passion 🔄👨👩👧👦

The foundation of development is the youth. Why? Because they bring their parents.

"You, me, and many players we know — we all started because our parents played."And sometimes the reverse: children motivate their parents to play. It’s a constant back-and-forth.

A virtuous circle. Without a base, there’s no elite. But without an elite… it’s hard to create the base. The two go hand in hand.

Rackets: one family 🎾🏸

Victor doesn’t see other racket sports as competitors. On the contrary:

"A teenager can play squash in winter, padel in summer, have a ping-pong racket for school breaks, and hit tennis balls with their parents on vacation..."That’s a good sign. The more rackets, the more fun, anyway.

And what if we took squash outdoors? 🌳🏟️

Victor’s dream? Build outdoor courts.

Visible, public courts, installed in iconic locations. Jardin du Luxembourg? Toulon? Let’s make a bet: who will be first? 😄

It would be a fantastic visibility boost. You walk past, you see people playing… you want to try, you put café chairs all around: perfect!

Squash at the Olympics: it’s up to us to make something of it 🏅🌍

Squash’s entry into the Olympic Games? Huge. But Victor warns:

"It’s a tool. Not a miracle solution."We’ll have to use it wisely: promote it, structure it, train, share. Once again, it’s a fantastic tool — but will we have the right people to work with it?

So? Are you optimistic for the future? 💪🏽

Squash has tremendous assets. But we have to stop waiting for miracles. Good things are underway: squash’s arrival on Sport en France, for example! Millions of people now see squash — for free!

And if you could dream, what would you do for squash in a snap of your fingers?

• A trained coach in every club

• Public facilities to welcome players

• Outdoor courts to showcase the sport

High-level sport is not the solution. But well used, it’s a powerful lever.

It’s up to us to build the right furniture with it! And for Rémy, one of the paths to that ideal is through sport.