How Paris Squash 2023 was born

By FFSquash Jérôme Elhaïk

In a few days, France will host the best squash players in the world but how did the Paris Squash 2023 come to life? Let us tell you all about an event that intends to become a regular feature on the PSA World Tour calendar in the years to come.

A bit of madness

“To lead such a project, you need someone a little crazy,” says Julien Muller, president of the French Squash Federation.

Concerning the Paris Squash Project, which later became Paris Squash 2023, this ‘Mad Man’ was Éric Nizard.

“I often say that I’ve been playing squash far too long compared to my level,” says the man who’ll be turning 60 later on this year. “I started playing at the age of 20, but I still remember vividly the enjoyment I felt after hitting my first shots,” he says with contagious enthusiasm.

Over the years, this unconditional love for the little black rubber ball produced a feeling of a different kind, which is, according to him, the starting point of PSP.

“I was frustrated that we did not have a big tournament in Paris, such as the ones in Cairo, New York etc. I think many people shared this feeling, but I went a little further… In reality, the project came to life during a discussion I had with Patrick Karam, Vice President of the Île-de-France Regional Council. He was on his phone while I was talking to him, I thought he wasn’t listening to me, but he was setting up a meeting with Julien Muller. Without Patrick, nothing would have been possible.”

The involvement of the national body was a prerequisite, and the meeting between the three men took place a few weeks later. “We need such an event to come out of our walls and show that squash is a sport accessible to all,” says Muller.

A turning point for Squash in France?

Quickly, Éric Nizard met Philippe Signoret, who would then become the tournament director, and they threw themselves wholeheartedly into this adventure.

“I was probably more aware than Éric of all the difficulties that would be coming our way,” says the man who coached former world number 2 Camille Serme throughout her career.

“Let’s say that by nature, I’m the most pragmatic person in the team … We came across quite a few people who didn’t think we would succeed, and some of them admit it now. I remember one of our first meetings in a club, we were told, well, you have no money, let’s me get your coffee!!

As far as I am concerned, the first appointments we had with the local authorities made me think that it was possible. Pretty soon, we created the Paris Squash Project association and started building the team.”

“There has not been a tournament of this magnitude in our country since the 80s, and our ambition is to make it pass the test of time. We are fortunate enough to have found many very enthusiastic partners. For the first edition, they are mostly squash lovers, but once we will have some experience and established our image, we have every intention of going beyond our borders and attracting others.”

Spectacular, entertaining and Exposure Opportunities

For Éric Nizard, three elements define Paris Squash 2023.

“First of all, it must be a show, and we don’t have to prove that Squash is entertaining anymore. There will be 800 people attending every session. We would have liked this figure to be even higher, but that was impossible for technical reasons.

“We are sold out for the semis and the final, but I encourage people to stay tuned because some more seats may be on sale in the next few weeks, and some are still available for the previous rounds.

“Secondly, the venue. It wasn’t easy to secure it, but the Palais de Tokyo is a beautiful place. And finally, the media coverage. Having partners like L’Équipe Live (who will broadcast the quarters, semis and finals), RMC and maybe Sport in France is a step forward for squash that needs exposure.”

Inclusion is also essential for Nizard and his associates. That’s why he asked his squash partner Ludovic Laich, who has a sight impairment, to be an event ambassador. The Paris Squash Project has also partnered with Sport dans la Ville, an association that supports young people in their social and professional inclusion through sport, and activities will be taking place during the event.

The French Touch

When Éric Nizard and Philippe Signoret are asked how they feel as the kickoff of the Paris Squash 2023 is close, they offer two very different answers.

“I can’t wait for the 3rd of September,” laughs the association president, referring to the day after the finals, whereas Signoret can’t wait for the tournament to begin.

“So that we can get to the heart of the matter. In fact, I’m even looking forward to 2024, so we can rectify all the small mistakes we’ve made this year! With Camille, we’ve been to all the biggest tournaments in the world, and we are pretending that we’re going to do better than them.

“But one thing for sure, we’re going to do everything we can to do as well as them, while bringing our “French touch”. There will be a lot of things going on around the tournament. I don’t want to unveil all of them, but for example, we will be telling the History of Paris.”