As the British Junior Open (BJO) celebrates its 100th anniversary, it’s a natural moment to look back at its rich history but also forward at what’s sure to be an innovative and truly dynamic future.
Squash as a sport and the BJO as a competition have both undergone major changes in the last century. As technology develops at breakneck speed, what might the tournament and the game look like in another 100 years?
Who better to ask than some of the game’s biggest innovators? These companies have driven advances in the sport for decades, so are ideally placed to predict what innovations might take place in the future.
DUNLOP – BJO GOLD SPONSOR AND ENGLAND SQUASH OFFICIAL BALL PARTNER
The British Junior Open’s long-time partners Dunlop have been behind many of the industry-leading innovations in rackets and balls throughout squash’s history. Steve Heatley, Dunlop’s UK Sales Manager, sees more innovations ahead.
“Dunlop has already looked at changing the colour of squash balls to make them more visible for players and spectators,” he says. “For decades, the grassroots version of the sport enjoyed by millions has featured a black ball and white walls. In 100 years’ time, we might see that change.”
Even more intriguing is how the famous Dunlop squash ball might interact with the court around it, particularly in the professional game.
Steve says: “Ball visibility on a glass court is now so good, but we still haven’t solved the issue of deciding definitely whether the ball has hit the tin or clipped the out-of-court line. It is still up to the naked eye of the referee, and TV replays are often inconclusive.
“Could contact between the ball and the relevant lines be displayed to referees and spectators immediately, as with HawkEye in tennis and cricket? Could the tin or court lines light up when struck, as the balls now do in cricket when a batsman is dismissed?”
OLIVER – ENGLAND SQUASH OFFICIAL RACKET PARTNER
Shaun Sullivan, owner of Oliver Squash UK foresees many developments in the materials and engineering of racket design in the next century.
Perhaps the most exciting is ‘smart’ or ‘instrumented’ rackets with IMU sensors embedded in the handles. These sensors will measure swing speed, angle, torque, vibration, and sweet-spot accuracy. This data could be uploaded to the player’s cloud profile and conveyed to coaches in real-time.
Using this data, rackets might then offer ‘haptic cues’ (sensory signals received through the sense of touch) to address timing errors or off-centre hits.
Shaun also predicts a future in which cognitive training becomes as essential as physical on-court practice, with developments such as AI-driven tactical simulations, AR ghosting models that follow a virtual pro’s movement patterns, and AI coaches that highlight inefficiencies in movement, balance and shot preparation.
ASHAWAY – ENGLAND SQUASH OFFICIAL STRING SUPPLIER
Steve Crandall, VP of Ashaway Strings USA, says string technology has come a long way since the use of animal intestines which dominated the squash racket industry until around 1950.
Ashaway’s PowerNick® and UltraNick® trademarks now use PEEK-based strings. Steve says future developments will depend upon advancements in material science.
“The future will be driven by material science rather than by design,” he said. “We’ve had natural fibres, then nylons, then aramid fibres, so who knows where the next step is?
“What is the next generation of raw material to be used in squash strings? At Ashaway, these questions are being researched by chemical engineers, working with world-class players like Diego Elias and Amanda Sobhy for on-court evaluation. Only time will tell what string developments will emanate from Ashaway’s Rhode Island factory in the USA.”
ADIDAS – ENGLAND SQUASH OFFICIAL CLOTHING AND SHOE PARTNER
“Products are going to get even lighter, more cushioned and more comfortable to allow the athletes to move around the court even more efficiently,” predicts Senior Category Manager John Richards from Specialist Sports (Official adidas distributor).
Footwear through the decades has progressed from the heavy canvas of over 50 years ago to EVA foam, polyurethane, thermoplastic and modern sustainable materials. In the 1990s, some brands experimented with fish skin (salmon or perch) in squash shoes as well as shark skin as a test grip surface. Hi-Tec repurposed car tyres as rubber outer soles for extra grip, but they were heavy and marked the court floors!
“Squash shoes of the future will be made out of materials and technology which don’t exist right now,” said John. “The athletes are getting better as strength and conditioning gets more sophisticated and knowledge around fitness advances, and footwear will move in line with that.”
John claims that wearable tech, which is now commonplace in professional and amateur sport with heart rate monitor vests and watches, will start to be incorporated into more standard clothing such as shirts and socks.
“Sport fashions will always come back around in loops, but what will progress is the technology that’s built into it to impact performance,” he concluded.
KARAKAL – OFFICIAL GRIP PARTNER
The Karakal squash grip is a staple of the sport and the brand’s Global Sales & Marketing Manager Steve Galliene certainly doesn’t see that position changing over the next century.
“Textures and variables in grips will change but materials won’t change much and Karakal will lead and participate in the industry,” he says.
As for rackets, he states: “Cosmetically, rackets will change in the coming decades but not in terms of material and shape. As long as graphite is used by airlines and other high-performance demand industries, it will continue as the premium technology for frames across all racket sports including squash.”
Watch the 2026 Alpha Bravo Construction British Junior Open live and for free here on the official website. You can also catch the action on SQUASHTV, Worldsquash.tv and esfsquash.tv.
Follow the official BJO socials: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
