Borja Golan On His Career, His Retirement And The Future Of Spanish Squash

Spain’s Borja Golan recently announced his retirement from the PSA World Tour, after a career spanning more than 20 years.

The Spaniard reached a career-high of World No.5, amassing 33 titles along the way. He is the best Spanish player to ever play the game, and we spoke to ‘El Toro’ to get his thoughts on his career, and what comes next after his retirement.

Q: How would you describe your career on Tour?

BG: “I think there were some amazing experiences. Looking backwards now,  when I start playing on the PSA you still had to enter by fax. So that means that things have changed a lot in, you know, in my career. 

“The main thing is that I enjoyed every year of playing the tour. It was a bit harder, I remember, when I was studying the journalism career, I was not focused on the game as much. So it was maybe for, three years, probably from 2003, to 2005. But the rest of the time I was enjoying every tournament, you know, training hard to improve my ranking every time. 

“In the middle of my career, I had an injury that made me also see the game differently. After recovering, I enjoyed the squash even more. I was, you know, thinking that maybe I could not play at the same level. When you have a major injury, you don’t know if you will be good or bad. So it was many things; I think it made me realise how lucky I was. 

“And also the last part of my career. When I know the end is close, I think I enjoy even more, each tournament. And I was yeah, just trying to take the most of each tournament try to enjoy more. And it was a joy to play the last two, three years. 

“Yeah, so for me, I was very lucky that I could withstand my career for so long because I love the game and it was a very hard decision to stop it. Very, very hard, because I wanted to keep playing. One of my last goals, was trying to win matches when I was 40, but I just couldn’t do it. I stopped just before that, you know, I had a little problem on my knee in December. And then a lot of work on the Academy [Academia de Squash de Borja Golan]. And I think maybe it’s time to, you know, to stop.”

Q: You won the Open International Niort Venise Verte in November. Did you see that as the right time to stop, to go out on a high?

BG: “Yeah, the idea was not.. When I played that tournament, my idea was not top stop playing because this was the second week of November but then I didn’t have any tournaments in December. 

“So my idea was just to train and I had a tournament in Spain in December. I think it was 10th of December or something like that. And then this thing happened on my knee, it was nothing important. I was playing a match in the first round and then after the match, I was stretching and I felt some liquid on my knee. 

“Very strange because it was not bad movement or pain. But I have to stop the tournament. And then yeah, I was waiting until it gets better. But then like I say, I had the knee I had a lot of work on the Academy in December. And suddenly, I have to take maybe 15 days, 20 days off. New York [the Tournament of Champions], it was too close. So I could not prepare well, so I decided to skip New York, and maybe try to play the [Spanish] Nationals in February, which were also are coming quite early and I was thinking mentally, I was not that… Normally I was very motivated for each tournament so maybe now is the time because my motivation dropped a little bit. 

“And then if I wanted to play more tournaments on the PSA, I wanted to just give my 100%, I want to prepare well in tournaments and I’m also with the Academy now, more work to do. It was the probably the right time, but yeah, I mean, the last year was really good. I won the Nationals. I lost the last three years, the National title and I came with a win last year, playing really well. I was playing very good squash. The last tournament in November, beating Baptiste [Masotti], and I had lost to him the last three times. 

“My idea, of course, was to keep playing until June. But also, I realised that my wife, my daughters have been supporting me all these years so I think it’s time also to give this time to my family and to my Academy. Yeah, it was hard, very hard for me to make the decision but yeah, I think I have to make the choice.”

Q: How has the game, and the Tour, changed from when you started to how it is now?

BG: “When I started playing, we scored to 15. We were still playing with the different tin, the higher tin. At the start of my career, I was playing many matches on the back courts, you know, not on the glass courts. The game was different for me at the start, and [I was] more physical to try to win the match, using my fitness more than my squash abilities.

“Gradually I was changing and I think also the Tour has improved a lot. With SQUASHTV, it was a big change because before this, it was difficult to show to people that didn’t know the sport. I think it was one of the difficulties for squash, to sell the product on TV, and I think you guys are doing great at the moment with SQUASHTV. All the interviews, the commentaries there are, there’s low cameras, the different angles, I think it was a big change. 

“Also bigger tournaments around the world, there are more big tournaments at the moment. We have double the amount of people on the rankings, I think now 800 men are members, I think when I started playing, there was maybe 300. So it’s also a big improvement. And yeah, I think is very good.

“I think the PSA is improving so much, the Tour is improving so much. I think I was lucky to live the start of my career. I see that we are improving so much for the new generations and I think yes, I think it’s it’s very good. More and more countries are in the game at the moment with Diego Elias as the World No.1 from South America, also Miguel Angel [Rodriguez], they send a message to all these players in South America that it is possible to be at the top. not only if you’re Egyptian, and I think that’s good for the game.”

Q: You represented Spain over your career. How did it feel to pull on the Spanish jersey?

BG: “I think it is very emotional and very important when you are coming from an individual sport, that when you are playing with your team, it is even  more important and more fun to play for a team. 

“It doesn’t matter if it is Spain or if you’re playing in leagues but of course, if you’re playing for your country, you know, it’s really special. And also we are friends on the team, we are good friends and we are fighting for the same goal. So I think that makes this very, very interesting. 

“For me, if I have to take one moment of my career, the most happy moment of my career, I will say playing for Spain. I played maybe 22 or 23 European Team Championships, with the best position being 5th. And that’s tough, we try every year so hard, you know, we couldn’t pass that. 

“2018, we made 3rd place in Poland and then 2019, we made 2nd place and we played against England in the final. And I would say this, it was probably the best moment of my career, sharing with the team, trying to win together. It was such a special week. Yeah, I think it was, the highlight of my career, playing for Spain and being close to beating England in the final. It was really nice.”

Q: What does the future of Spanish squash look like to you?

BG: “We have many more players at the moment. When I started in 2001, or 2022, there were very few. I think at the moment, we have many PSA players on the rankings, I think around 20 on the PSA rankings.

“We have players like Iker [Pajares Bernabeu], Bernat [Jaume]. Edmon [Lopez] has been injured the last three years and he’s coming back and hopefully he can because he’s such a great competitor. He has a lot of talent and also Iker and Bernat, they are knocking on the door. Iker has also battled an injury with his achilles.

“And then also Marta [Dominguez Fernandez] and Cristina [Gomez], they have started on the tour and Marta is finishing their studies at the moment at university so I’m sure both of them will go up. So I think yeah, they are still young, some of them 21 like Marta but the Iker, Bernat and Edmon, they are 26 or 27. So they are in the best time of their career. I think in the next three, four years they can improve so much and and I am sure they can go up in the rankings. 

“And then behind them, there are other players that they can see them as a mirror, you know, take a sample of them. I have a lot of faith in Spanish squash, I sure we will have good players at the top of the game very soon. I mean, Iker is fighting there, and hopefully more players are coming behind. So I tried to help in any way that I can help Spanish squash. Hopefully, we have many players there.”

Q: How excited are you for your Academy, and how much do you enjoy coaching?

BG: “Yeah, I think when I was playing the Tour, I love competing so much that I didn’t think anything could replaced this feeling of competing and giving your best at the best tournaments in the world.

“I think for me [coaching] is not a replacement of that. But probably second best thing I can do after squash, after competing in squash is to try to help others in my sport. It’s not the same but I’m very happy because there’s still a lot of things to improve as a coach, a lot of motivation to improve myself to try to help them. 

“And also it’s a big responsibility. Players are coming from Australia, from India, from South America, also players from here. They’re coming here to improve, you have to give your best to try to help them and it’s a big responsibility. 

“This also brings a lot of motivation and hard work for me to try to help them and I think it’s a nice challenge in the next part of my career, to try to help these players and try to help them achieve their dreams and their potential you know, so I think it’s very interesting, and a lot of motivation for me.

Q: What can you use from your time as a player, playing against greats like Gaultier, Willstrop, ElShorbagy, to help coach pupils in the Academy?

BG: “I always tell the pupils I’m training at the moment, I think the mental side is the most important thing in squash. And when the level is very close, a player wins because of his mind, that’s so important. 

“And to keep improving, I think I say to them that they can win or lose, but the main thing is that they’re coming every day with 100%. They give the best they can each day, because you cannot compete if you are not training properly. I mean, you cannot compete 100%, if you’re only doing 80% or 90% in your training, I think you have to give your maximum each day you step on court. 

“And there are bad days at the office. So the most important is that they keep trying until the last minute of training or until the last point of the match, they have to, because we have bad days, and maybe we started training badly, but we can recover from that and finish on a good note. So yeah, like I say to them to keep the motivation up, stay positive, and it’s the only way to improve. I think when you finish your training, when you finish your competition, if you give 100%, you feel better. 

“Even if you lose, you feel better, and at least you cannot reproach yourself anything. Then, if you are not giving you 100%, when you finish, then you don’t feel good with yourself. I think when you finish training, it is good that you are happy and you are proud of your session and it is the same when you are competing. So I try to tell them, I think this is the most important for me give your best and then at least you will be happy when you finish.”