Joel Makin joined the PSA World Tour in 2013 and has seen a rapid rise up through the PSA World Rankings ever since, reaching the top ten for the first time in 2020.

Makin’s first final appearance came in 2014 at the McWil & Euro Styl Gdansk Open but lost out to James Earles over four games. The Welshman then finished runner-up at the Swiss Open the following year when beaten to the title by Kristian Frost in straight games. The Welshman then claimed his first PSA World Tour title at the City of Greater Bendigo International in 2015 when he downed Joshua Larkin in straight games in the final.

Makin continued to make consistent final appearances. A runner-up finish followed in the Pareti Open but Makin fell short of the main prize with Christophe Andre claiming the title after a four-game contest. He then secured back-to-back runner-up positions in both the Stotford Classic and Kent Open where he lost out to Charles Sharpes and Tom Ford respectively.

The Welshman broke inside the world’s top 50 for the first time in his career in 2017. The year after, he went on to win the Kent Open after beating Joshua Masters in the final, before finishing runner-up to Tom Richards in the Nash Cup. He also finished runner-up in the Chicago Open, losing to Cesar Salazar in the final. Makin made the semis of the Pittsburgh Open and the Irish Open in 2018, before going on to take victory in the Arnold Homes Tring Open, defeating Peter Creed in the final.

The Welshman made the quarter finals of both the Channel VAS Championships and the Qatar Classic at the end of 2018, and started well at the Tournament of Champions in 2019, but had to retire through injury. Makin then made the quarter finals of the Canary Wharf Classic, but lost out to eventual champion Paul Coll. The Welshman then consistently made the last 16 towards the end of the campaign.

Makin continued his rise up the World Rankings throughout the 2019-2020 season, breaching the top ten for the first time in his career in the latter stages of the season. That came after finishing runner-up to Paul Coll at the Open de France - Nantes presented by Tailor Capital and reaching the semi-finals of of the CIB Egyptian Squash Open at the start of the season.

He then followed it up with quartet-final appearances at the Channel VAS Championships at St. George’s Hill, J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions and the Troilus Canada Cup. Makin also led the Welsh team at the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championships, as they surprised everyone to finish 3rd, the nation’s best finish at the tournament since 1999.

The British No.1 made it through to the quarter-finals of the Manchester Open, before then defying the odds to reach the last four at the CIB PSA World Tour Finals, in his debut appearance at the season-ending tournament. The Welshman then reached the last eight of both the Qatar Classic and the CIB Black Ball Squash Open at the end of 2020.

The Welshman continued that rise in 2021, breaking into the top eight for the first time at the end of the year. That came after consistently making it into the quarter finals of the major tournaments, along with making it to the last four at the CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open, U.S. Open presented by Truist and the Qatar QTerminals Classic.

He started his 2022 campaign with a runner-up finish at the Squash on Fire Open in Washington, D.C. before then making the quarters of the Windy City Open Presented by the Walter Family, Optasia Championships and GillenMarkets Canary Wharf Classic. Makin secured the biggest crown of his career later that year, with a victory at the Manchester Open, before going on to take the Silver Medal in the Men’s Singles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Makin ended 2022 by reaching at least the quarters of his final four tournaments of the year. He made it into the last eight of both the U.S. Open and Grasshopper Cup, losing out to Diego Elias on both occasions. The Welshman then made the semi-finals of the MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open and the Malaysian Open Squash Championships.

Makin’s great form continued into 2023, as he claimed a second Bronze level title. He defeated Victor Crouin to win the Oxford Properties Canadian Women’s Open, and he followed that with a semi-final appearance at the Black Ball Squash Open and then making the final of the GillenMarkets Canary Wharf Classic.