Nathan Lake, who discovered squash at Christ Church Primary School, on why his decision to retire was linked to becoming a dad, the mental shift that maximised his potential and why the padel boom is good for all racket sports.
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Watch or listen to the FULL CHAT with Nathan Lake below:
Why it’s time to go
Nathan Lake is 34 and he remains in good nick. He achieved his career high ranking of 22 in the world just two years ago.
But he says fatherhood was a big factor in his recent decision to call it a day.
“I’ve got to be honest. My wife and I had a baby about nine months ago and that was big motivator to stop, to be at home more,” Lake told Sport and Life.
“It just felt the right time. Squash isn’t that lucrative. It’s a real passion, you’re away three or four months a year.”
Focus on what matters
Lake enjoyed significant success in the closing years of his career – a gold with England in the team European Championship in 2022 and a silver at the worlds in 2024.
And he says he was playing some of his best ever squash this spring.
He credits his mindset coach Alan Fine for helping him maximise his talent.
“A lot of the work with Alan was about drowning out the noise. We would talk a lot about trying to find focus on the squash court.
“So I’d try to focus on the ball – it’s the same theory as a horse wearing blinkers you remove any distraction.”
Discovering squash in Cheltenham
Lake lives in Brooklyn, New York now. But his squash career was rooted in his hometown of Cheltenham.
“I went to a primary school in Cheltenham called Christ Church. And Christ Church had a squash club on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“And then my dad played rugby at Old Pat’s Rugby Club. They have two squash courts and that was really where I got the bug.”
A new career
Lake wasn’t unemployed for long. His new job is Business Development Director at Monteverdi Tuscany. He works from the boutique hotel’s American office in Manhattan.
“It’s about ninety minutes south of Florence. A beautiful, beautiful spot. My wife and I did part of our honeymoon there.
“I feel very lucky they backed me as a player and even more fortunate they’ve continued that into my next career.”
Happy for padel
People can be tribal about sport. But this squash aficionado isn’t sour about the padel craze.
“I think it’s brilliant. I played a lot of my squash at East Glos and they’ve got six padel courts and that’s boosted their membership no end.
“I see it as a positive for squash because it gets people closer to playing and, ultimately, we want people to be healthy.”
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