After 13 years without a major national competitive squash event, the island nation of Saint Lucia marked a significant milestone for the sport this June, when Fair Helen welcomed athletes and fans to the 2026 Saint Lucia Squash Open, held from June 18 to 21 at the Saint Lucia Yacht Club along scenic Reduit Beach in Gros Islet.
Organized by the Saint Lucia Squash & Racquets Association, the four-day tournament brought together 28 competitors from across the globe, with five international participants traveling from as far as Canada, the United Kingdom, and neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines to join local contenders. The event was structured into three distinct competitive divisions: Juniors, Women’s, and the flagship Open Championship, delivering three straight days of fast-paced, high-stakes matches that kept spectators engaged.
In the lead-up to the first serve, Christopher Thakur, president of the Saint Lucia Squash & Racquets Association, shared his vision for the tournament and the future of the sport on the island in an interview with St Lucia Times. Highlighting that Saint Lucia already boasts a strong, diverse pool of talent spanning junior, intermediate, and senior player levels, Thakur emphasized his hope that the revived tournament would help squash reclaim its popular standing as a go-to competitive sport across the nation.
When the final match concluded, international competitors claimed several top honors across the divisions. In the Open Championship, Kevin Bailey of St. Vincent and the Grenadines took first place, with Saint Lucia’s own Carlos Segovia securing second and Josh DeFreitas of Saint Lucia finishing third. Bailey was also named the tournament’s Top Foreign Player, while Segovia earned the title of Top Local Player. In the Open Consolation draw, Canada’s Vanessa Steinwall claimed first place, followed by host nation representatives Chris Thakur in second and Everistus Jn Marie Jr in third.
Steinwall continued her winning streak in the Women’s division, claiming the top spot with fellow Canadian Allison LeBer taking second and Saint Lucia’s Monique Devaux rounding out the top three. In the Juniors division, Michel Khalifeh claimed first place, with Cypriani Norville of Saint Lucia in second and Christian Sidonie of Saint Lucia in third.
The revival of the Saint Lucia Squash Open comes at a pivotal moment for the global squash community: the sport was recently granted official Olympic status, and will make its debut as a medal sport at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. For emerging squash programs like Saint Lucia’s, the timing of the tournament’s return offers a unique opportunity to grow local talent, build interest in the sport, and develop competitors who could one day compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage.