With over 1,000 players representing fifty-one nations competing at the 2024 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships, two Andover squash players, John-Jayden Luo ’28 and Isabella Tang ’28, were able to win titles in the Boys-U15 and Girl-U15 divisions respectively. The 2024 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships is the world’s largest individual junior squash tournament and took place from December 14-17 at the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center in Philadelphia.
For Tang, the victory was her first U.S. Junior Championship title. Despite feeling immense pressure due to the large audience and initially being seeded second, Tang maintained composure and stuck to her game plan, defeating fourth seed and 2023 Girls-U13 Champion Vivienne Sze 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, and 11-3.
“It was really exciting because I’ve been working really hard for it, and this is my first U.S. Open title. I was just really glad that I won… I was the second seed going into the tournament, so I faced a bit of pressure being a higher-seeded player. One of my tougher matches was probably the finals because there were a lot of people watching. I just kept calm and stuck to my game plan,” said Tang.
For Luo, who had played numerous other National tournaments in the U.S. before, the U.S. Junior was amongst the most prestigious. With 128 of the most talented international athletes competing in the Boys-U15 division, he was conscious of keeping his expectations of winning low. However, after seven matches, Luo, who was initially seeded fourth in Boys-U15, achieved victory.
“I never thought I was going to win a tournament this big. My biggest tournaments I won before were like national championships, but I never thought I would win in an international tournament like that. It was pretty cool to see like myself come this far,” said Luo.
Luo described his final match against third seed Vivaan Mehta, who he ultimately defeated 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, and 11-7 despite his nervousness during the match.
“In the finals, I played a kid from California named Vivaan Mehta, and it was a pretty close match, and I feel like we both weren’t playing our best because of the stress of just being in the finals of such a major tournament. It was tough to stay calm and stay composed, but I guess both of us had the same stress,” said Luo.
The high stakes of such a tournament usually prompt emotionally charged matches. However, Girls Squash Head Coach Shaun Duffy emphasized the importance of maintaining dignity. He commended Tang and Luo for embodying these values and carrying themselves well throughout the tournament.
“We’re very proud of the way they carried themselves on the court when they were winning or if they were down. Squash is a sport of etiquette and good behavior, and they represented Andover and the United States extremely well. They did that in the British Junior Open as well… Both Isabella and JJ have great control over their emotions throughout their matches. That’s a very important aspect of being a winning player and representing our country,” said Duffy.
Duffy also noted the pair’s synergy and ability to train rigorously. Both players pushed one another and challenged each other to new heights.
Duffy said, “They both have tremendous work ethics, and their ability to practice for long periods of time throughout the day is almost like a superpower for them. And the two of them, interestingly, trained together with each other. So they helped push each other, we think, to excel. I know in Isabella’s case that it certainly helped her a lot. She did particularly well in some of the tournaments leading up to the U.S. Junior Open.”
In preparation for the tournament, Tang practiced under Duffy’s guidance to improve and polish her technique.
“I tried to focus on shot quality and technique. Coach Duffy is great; I’m so grateful to him because he’s giving me all these opportunities to develop and improve my game. I think a big part of me coming here was thanks to him, so I’m just really grateful for him,” said Tang.
Luo also thanked Andover Squash’s coaches and his fellow teammates, who fostered a productive training environment leading up to the tournament and throughout the season.
“The coaches and players here at Andover helped me a lot to get this win because they are the only people I can train with. Back at home, I would go to a lot of different clubs and places to train. But [now], Andover is the only place I have. It’s good that I have a good environment to train in with its coaches and players,” said Luo.
This past weekend, the pair also competed in the British Squash Open, another highly renowned tournament. Luo placed fifth and Tang finished eighth at the conclusion of the games on Tuesday.
