Kevin Wu ’29 places 11th in the Boys U15 division at the British Junior Open.
Girls Squash athlete Isabella Tang ’28 and Boys Squash members John-Jayden Luo ’28 and Kevin Wu ’29 were selected to represent the United States at the 2026 British Junior Open, which took place from January 2 to January 6. The tournament is one of the most prestigious junior squash events, with the competition featuring over 700 of the globe’s top youth athletes, all of whom hail from over 50 different nations. Ultimately, Tang placed fourth in the Girls U17 division, Luo finished 17th for the Boys U17, and Wu earned 11th place in the Boys U15 division.
Competing in a higher age group for the first time, Luo entered the Boys U17 draw as one of the youngest players in the field. He breezed past the round of 128 and 64, winning each in straight sets, but he lost in the round of 32. However, he shared that in the consolation matches, he found success against higher-seeded players.
“After I lost in the Round of 32, I played Rohan Roy from the United Arab Emirates, seeded 9th-16th, but I was able to win as the 30th seed. After that match, I played Tamir Wiegenfeld from Israel, and I was also supposed to lose that, but I didn’t. Those were two pretty good matches for me, and it felt good to prove I was better than my seeding,” said Luo.
Tang, who ultimately reached the semifinal match, attributed her comeback in the quarterfinals, a five-set thriller that ended in a score of 7-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7, to the support that her teammates showed throughout the bout.
“In the quarterfinals I was down [2-0] in games, and I ended up coming back in winning despite the pressure. And a big part of that was because all my teammates were supporting me and it’s a lot like school matches. Also, having a great team behind you is so important when you’re in events like this, and it just helps everyone play the best and support each other,” said Tang.
Initially seeded five to eight, Wu shared that he was disappointed with his final result, but he was content with the challenging victories he overcame.
“I was seeded five to eight, and I got 11th, which is kind of below what I thought I would get, but I’m still happy with the wins I came out with. In the Round of 32, I played another U.S. player, [Whit Robertson,] and I beat him in three sets, which was good. Also, after I lost in the Round of 16, a tough loss, I still managed to come back and play a really good Egyptian, and I managed to beat him in four [sets]. It was a tough match, and it was a good win for me,” said Wu.
Tang also described how her experience of the British Open differed from other tournaments, citing both the pressure of international competition and the diversity of the field.
“It was a completely different atmosphere compared to tournaments in the US. It was stressful for me because it’s the biggest tournament of the year and also because I was representing my country,” said Tang.
Wu shared a similar perspective, pointing to the diverse mix of people in creating an exciting environment at every game.
“The atmosphere was very loud. I remember in a match where I was playing an Egyptian, there was a huge audience composed of people from both countries. It felt good whenever I won a point, because there were a lot of people clapping, yelling, and cheering. It was also cool hearing the Egyptians yelling in their own language, encouraging and critiquing, which is something you only really see at international tournaments like the British Open,” said Wu.
Beyond the on-court competition, Luo reflected on what it meant to represent the U.S., describing the camaraderie it fostered between players who would typically compete against one another outside of the tournament.
“We play against a lot of the people on the [U.S.] team, but in this tournament, we supported each other and had a lot of fun together. For example, Jacob Price was my teammate at the tournament, and he goes to Choate. I was also living on the same floor as Kevin [Wu],” said Luo.
Because athletes represent their own nations, the team aspect was especially strong at the tournament. Luo recalled a jersey exchange with players after the tournament.
“At the U.S. Open, you come individually, and you just wear whatever shirt you want, but at the British Open, you have to wear a team U.S. shirt, or an Egypt shirt, or an England shirt, which is really cool. I was actually also able to trade shirts with a lot of players from different countries. I got a Malaysian shirt and an England shirt, and it was just a really cool experience,” said Luo.
