After more than two decades of separate professional doubles tours under the auspices of the Squash Doubles Association (SDA)—the professional men’s tour—and Women’s Squash Doubles Association (WSDA), the two tours announced that they will merge as the Squash Doubles Association in a historic landmark for the sport.
The upcoming season will feature a vibrant schedule of new and expanded events and initiatives. The first men’s and women’s SDA Combine—focused on introducing the next generation of players to the tour ahead of the new season—will be held in October at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
The WSDA was founded in 2007 by Narelle Krizek and has been led by Suzie Pierrepont since 2015. A North American professional men’s doubles tour was first formed in 2000 as the ISDA by Gary Waite and James Hewitt, and in 2012 transitioned into the SDA Pro Tour with a newly formed board of players, promoters and supporters. Both tours have thrived on the support of the passionate communities of squash doubles players, supporters and partners throughout North America.
“Since founding the Women’s Doubles Tour in 2007 and seeing the growth, I am so proud of the merging of the men’s and women’s tours, and I believe this will help take professional doubles to the next level,” said Krizek, who now serves as the US Squash Director of Women & Girls Squash. “This is a very important step for the women to be on equal footing and to be seen at many more events, while having the opportunity to showcase the women’s game and to compete alongside the men in mixed events.”
“As a general matter, anything that helps to de-Balkanize our sport makes it more accessible to players, supporters, and sponsors,” said Kevin Luzak, who has served as the SDA Board Chair since its formation in 2012. “Combining the professional doubles tours creates a broader set of opportunities for players and a wider range of possible events. We are very excited about the prospects for growth that this new structure makes possible.”
In addition, new women’s draws have been added to existing SDA events across the calendar, including the North American Open and a new women’s event at the Heights Casino. Following the successful introduction of professional mixed doubles events last season, several will return and expand including the Hashim Khan, which was the first professional mixed doubles event ever held fifteen years ago in Denver.
“Over the past decade, the SDA board and team have worked hard to move the game forward and have been highly successful,” said Pierrepont, who has excelled as both a leading player and promoter of the women’s game. “To me, this merger is the logical next step in the progress of the game and I’m excited to be a part of the next iteration of professional doubles.”
“It is very exciting to hear that the men’s and women’s tours will be combining under one umbrella,” said James Stout, the SDA world No. 4 and Kellner Cup and R&T Challenger Tournament Director. “As a player and tournament organizer, I couldn’t be happier to see the top men’s & women’s doubles players all in the same place on the Squash Doubles Association Pro Tour. It will add a new dimension to the tour events and bring our game closer together at the amateur and professional stage. I am looking forward to the coming season!”
The SDA will launch a new website at sdaprotour.com to serve as the hub for the tour’s broadcasting, news, rankings and other initiatives.
The 2022-2023 season is set to feature a combined 27 events, 147 members with $620,000 prize money on offer. The first men’s ranking event will take place in Louisville, October 7-9, and the first women’s ranking event will take place at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn, October 28-30.
