Alves hopes Paris Squash inspires new crowd

French No.1 Melissa Alves hopes that the upcoming Paris Squash event – the first Platinum event held in France since 1994 – can be a catalyst for change for squash in her home country. 

The Frenchwoman, who is currently ranked World No.21, will be one of the star attractions for squash-going Parisians in the first major event of the 2023-24 PSA World Tour season. 

Held within the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in the grounds of the Palais de Tokyo – one of Europe’s largest contemporary art centres – the Paris Squash will see 96 of the world’s elite male and female players converge for the first time since the summer break between August 27 – September 2.

The event, which will be the first SQUASHTV PSA event of the season, sees Alves face World No.41 Katie Malliff in the first round, before a potential second-round tie against one of Egypt’s Hana Ramadan or Canada’s Nicole Bunyan. 

After being crowned winner of the Monte Carlo Classic and reaching the semi-finals stage of the Chestnut Hill Classic and the Richmond Open last year, Alves believes she is in a good place to replicate this strong form heading into the new season.

On her chances at the Paris Squash, the 29-year-old said: “I am extremely excited to start off the new season and play a new tournament in my home country.

“Paris is a beautiful city and it will be great to have all the best players in the world competing near the Eiffel Tower. Starting the new season with a new tournament is super exciting.

“The goal is to go as far as possible and to be able to play as many times as possible in front of a home crowd. 

“I believe I did great in the off-season. I’m prepared, I feel ready and I think anything is possible. I am very excited for the new season and I hope to show that I can compete with the best players in the world. It would be great to start in Paris.”

Despite Alves and Men’s World No.8 Victor Crouin flying the flag for French squash, the former still believes there is substantial room for growth in her home country. 

France boasts a rich squash history, with multiple World No.1s and World Champions such as Gregory Gaultier, Thierry Lincou and Camille Serme having graced the court in the past, however, this will be the first Platinum event in the country since the men’s 1994 French Open. 

Alves now sees the Paris Squash as a significant opportunity to boost the profile of the sport in France.

She said: “We hope that we get some more exposure in the media, that squash gets the treatment it deserves. In France there’s a lot more attention on Olympic sports. 

“We hope that this event in such a prestigious venue shows that squash is a very progressive sport with amazing athletes that deserve more publicity. We have great players in France and we have been successful in the past as well with Camille [Serme], Greg [Gaultier] and Thierry [Lincou]. 

“Hopefully, we can show that it’s not over and we still belong with the top players and top nations.”

On the prospect of playing in front of her home fans, Alves added: “Obviously, it doesn’t get better than this for any French player, myself included. Playing in France at such a big event for the first time at such a cool spot.

“I am very grateful to be able to compete this year and looking forward to it. It will be amazing to be able to play in front of friends and family. Playing at home feels like I am representing a bit more than just myself. I want to make my family proud and my country proud.”

Squash fans will be able to watch the event live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of PSA’s broadcast partners.

For more information on the Paris Squash, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.