Jack Wang and Tengfei Squash Club: A Case Study of Squash’s Rise in China

Glass Court visible from outside of the Tengfei Squash Club

Squash is experiencing a quiet upswing in China, evolving from a virtually unknown pastime to an emerging sport on the fast track. Recent developments – including squash’s pending Olympic debut and the return of high-profile events like the China Squash Open – have injected momentum into the racquet sports scene. In Shanghai, once home to only a handful of courts tucked away in private clubs, squash facilities are now multiplying and buzzing with activity. Nearly 100 squash courts exist across the city (up from just a few a decade ago), and many are packed with players until late at night. Amid this growth, one club’s story stands out as a microcosm of the sport’s potential: the Tengfei Squash Club (FSC) and its founder, Jack Wang. FSC’s journey – from a single new club in an untested market to a multi-branch hub – offers insight into how squash is taking root in China’s broader racquet sports market.

Jack Wang’s Background

Jack Wang

Jack Wang (Chinese name Wang Junjie) is no stranger to blazing trails in squash. A former professional player, Wang transitioned to squash in 2008 after starting as a promising junior in badminton. He became one of China’s first generation of full-time squash athletes, at a time when the sport was virtually “unknown territory” domestically.

By 2010, Wang – born in 1992 – was dominating national squash competitions, effectively monopolizing men’s titles in China for years. As the nation’s top male squash player (sometimes dubbed China’s squash “No.1”), he also experienced the sport’s growing pains on the world stage. Internationally, Wang often found himself knocked out in the first round of elite tournaments, a humbling pattern he openly acknowledged.

The gap in training exposure and competition level between China and squash-powerhouse countries was evident. “There were so few players to spar with back home… once abroad, I’d still usually be ‘one and done’,” he noted of those years. These experiences gave Wang a clear-eyed view of the challenges facing Chinese squash – from limited coaching infrastructure to scarce competitive opportunities. They also stoked his determination to change things. By his late twenties, armed with a sports science education and first-hand knowledge, Wang shifted focus from competing to developing the sport. He set out to build something he himself had lacked as an athlete: a robust grassroots system to nurture future Chinese squash talent.

Founding and Vision of FSC

In late 2019, Jack Wang founded the Tengfei (meaning “soaring”) Squash Club in Shanghai’s Hongqiao area, making a bold entrepreneurial leap. At the time, the local squash scene was tiny – Shanghai had only two dedicated squash clubs in the entire city. Undeterred by the niche market, Wang’s vision for FSC was ambitious and clear from the start. Drawing on his own journey, he wanted the club to be more than just a business – a platform to develop young players and elevate Chinese squash. “We hope through the club’s platform to ignite more children’s love for squash, cultivate more young athletes, and provide them pathways upward to provincial, city, and even national teams,” Wang said in a recent interview. This development pathway for youth is at the core of FSC’s mission. Wang chose to base the club in Qingpu District (western Shanghai), aiming to attract not only expatriate players (who traditionally formed much of China’s squash community) but also local families and schools. He invested in proper facilities and coaching from day one, convinced that exposure to quality training would hook a new generation on the sport.

Getting FSC off the ground, however, was not easy. Wang’s idealism soon met the realities of building a following for an obscure sport. In the club’s early days, public awareness of squash was minimal, and recruiting students felt like “hitting an invisible wall” of disinterest and unfamiliarity. Soon after opening, the COVID-19 pandemic struck – a further setback that temporarily emptied courts and forced the fledgling club to hibernate. These challenges tested Wang’s resolve. Yet, he persisted, adapting by offering trial classes, promoting squash’s fitness benefits, and leveraging his reputation to reassure parents and sports officials alike. By late 2020, as life in China normalized, interest in squash slowly picked up. Wang’s perseverance paid off as word spread that a former national champion was personally coaching at FSC.

Unique Characteristics of Tengfei Squash Club

Today, Tengfei Squash Club has distinguished itself as one of China’s premier squash institutions. In a country where truly professional squash venues have been rare, FSC stands out for its scale and modern amenities. The club has expanded to three locations in Shanghai – in Hongqiao, Pudong (Longyang), and Xinjianwan – collectively offering nine glass courts  for its members. Notably, one of its newest branches is located within a Pudong shopping mall and sports park complex, an innovative approach that repurposes retail space into a sporting hub. These state-of-the-art facilities, uncommon in China until recently, underscore FSC’s commitment to providing an international-standard playing experience. Players can train on the same kind of all-glass courts used in pro tournaments, a rarity that has helped make the club a vibrant hub for squash enthusiasts in Shanghai.

Another hallmark of FSC is its high-caliber coaching and programming. Wang has assembled a coaching team led by former national squad players and even brought in China’s national team coaches as technical advisors. This gives club members – from schoolchildren to adult amateurs – access to top-tier instruction that was once available only to national athletes. The club’s training programs range from grassroots beginner clinics to elite junior development squads, reflecting Wang’s dual focus on growing the base and grooming future champions. Under his guidance, FSC places heavy emphasis on youth training, running classes for children as young as 5 and junior squads that practice several times a week. The results are beginning to show: several juniors at FSC have been training consistently for five years now and are emerging as some of Shanghai’s most promising teenage players.

Jack Wang on the court with Mohamed ElShorbagy

FSC also differentiates itself through strategic partnerships and global exposure. In 2024, the club reached a strategic partnership with Elite Squash, a renowned UK-based coaching academy, to inject international expertise into its programs. This collaboration has led to joint training camps and visits from world-class coaches. (For example, Elite Squash founder Hadrian Stiff – mentor to multiple world champions – conducted clinics at FSC, marking his first-ever coaching trip to Asia.) Such tie-ups not only raise the coaching standard at FSC but also signal its intent to be a bridge between Chinese squash and the global squash community. Additionally, the club regularly hosts exhibition matches, youth tournaments, and squash camps featuring top domestic and Asian players. Photos on FSC’s social media show Jack Wang sharing the court with legends like Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy and Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen during special events – experiences that were virtually unheard of in China’s squash scene a few years ago. By blending local grassroots focus with international connections, Tengfei Squash Club has carved out a unique identity, positioning itself as a case study in how to build a squash ecosystem from the ground up in China.

Future Outlook of Squash in China

Looking ahead, Jack Wang and his Tengfei Squash Club are poised to ride the next wave of squash development in China. A confluence of factors is tilting in their favor. First and foremost is the Olympic factor. This decision has been a game-changer for the sport’s profile in China. Almost overnight, squash went from a “non-Olympic, obscure pursuit” to a discipline with Olympic legitimacy – a crucial distinction in a country where Olympic sports traditionally receive more funding and public interest. The impact is already visible. Young athletes who previously saw no clear future in squash are now dreaming of Olympic glory. One Chinese junior, 14-year-old Li Haizhen, said that after hearing of squash’s Olympic inclusion and seeing the China Open return, he realized “he might have a chance to chase an Olympic dream after all,” something unimaginable eight years ago. This psychological shift is significant: it means more juniors (and their parents) may commit to the sport long-term, which directly feeds clubs like FSC with talent and motivation. Wang expects a surge of newcomers once Olympic preparations ramp up, and he is already positioning FSC as a training base for high-potential juniors aspiring to national selection.

Chinese sports authorities are also rolling out plans that could accelerate squash’s growth, and FSC stands to benefit. The national squash program, overseen by the China Small Ball Sports Administration, has outlined a four-year development plan to build squash “from the bottom up” now that it’s in the Olympic fold. A key part of this vision is integrating squash into more mainstream sports structures. Officials have even proposed including squash in China’s next National Games (the country’s highest-level multi-sport event) as a demonstration or full medal sport. Such a move would be a boon: if squash appears in the National Games, it would come with policy support and system improvements that trickle down to local training programs. Provinces might start their own squash teams, funding for coaching education would likely rise, and school sports systems could adopt squash more readily. For clubs like Tengfei, this means a potential influx of resources and participants – from being tapped as official training centers to increased sponsorship interest. Jack Wang, with his dual credibility as a former national star and a successful club director, is well positioned to collaborate with these initiatives. He has already been working with Shanghai’s sports bureau on pilot programs to introduce squash in public schools and has voiced support for standardizing coaching curricula nationwide.

From a business perspective, Wang is cautiously optimistic about expanding FSC’s footprint. While he hasn’t announced concrete plans for new cities, he acknowledges inquiries from investors in other regions interested in replicating the FSC model. “Our focus is on doing well in Shanghai first,” he said, noting that the city’s cosmopolitan environment gave squash a head start. But he doesn’t rule out branching out when the time is right. Chinese cities like Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chengdu have growing expat communities and health-conscious middle classes that could sustain squash clubs, especially if guided by experienced operators. Any expansion, Wang emphasizes, would stick to FSC’s ethos: combine top-class facilities with strong coaching and grassroots outreach. Rather than a franchise rush, he imagines developing flagship training centers that can nurture local talent pools, perhaps in collaboration with regional sports authorities or universities.

As the sport gains traction, FSC aims to remain a leader in innovation. Wang plans to continue bringing international best practices to China – for instance, leveraging his partnership with Elite Squash to host annual high-performance camps and certify his coaches in cutting-edge training methods. He is also exploring technology integrations, such as using smart court sensors and analytics to help players (and parents) track improvement, a feature that could differentiate FSC in a tech-savvy market. Community-building will remain central as well. The club intends to host more events open to the public, like squash festivals and inter-club leagues, to demystify the sport and build a broader fan base. This approach aligns with Shanghai’s ethos of embracing new sports and turning niche activities into trendy urban pastimes. In interviews, Wang often likens squash’s current moment in China to where tennis was 20+ years ago – a sport with great potential once barriers are broken down. “Back then, few believed a Chinese tennis player could win a Grand Slam until it happened,” he mused, referencing Li Na’s success, “Squash can surprise people too, given time.”