“I’d Completely Lost My Joy For Squash” …

For Nele Gilis-Coll, the last twelve months have been a test of resilience. A year ago, the Belgian started the season at a career-high rank of World No.4 and was knocking on the door of Nouran Gohar, Nour El Sherbini and Hania El Hammamy at the top of the women’s game.

However, a series of injury setbacks derailed her progress and soon left her outside the top ten and without a semi-final appearance or better throughout the course of the 2024/25 PSA Squash Tour season.

Now, though, with a full pre-season under her belt and the start of the new campaign fast approaching, Gilis-Coll finds herself in a different place – injury-free and ready to target the world’s biggest prizes with renewed optimism.

“I’d built up so much self-doubt and had completely lost my joy, not just for squash, but for life in general.”

“Bart Wijnhoven [Gilis-Coll’s mental coach] helped remind me what truly matters. I feel so much happier now, and it’s made a real difference both on and off the court. It’s also so important to have people you can talk to, in that regard, even if it’s just to remind you that squash is important, but it’s not everything.”

A frustrating season concluded with victory over World #6 Gina Kennedy to reach the quarter-finals of the British Open before heading into the off-season.

“That win meant a lot. It wasn’t just about beating a top player; it was about proving to myself that the work I’d put in was paying off.

“It gave me a huge boost heading into the off-season. It reminded me that my level is there, and that if I keep building physically and mentally, I can compete with anyone.”

“I really do feel like I’m back!”

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