Q&A with Alison Thomson

Following her victory at the Gibraltar Open as part of the PSA Challenger Tour, we chatted to our own Ally Thomson about the win and what is next in store for her…

How does it feel to get that first tournament victory under your belt? It’s an amazing feeling. Winning that match was indescribable, an emotion that I’ve actually never experienced in my squash career. I’ve had some great wins in my career – but nothing quite like winning a tournament has come close to it. There was also a sense of pride because I achieved one of my goals I set out for this season coming back from lockdown and return to tour – to win a 5k tournament!

How did you feel going into the third game? Did it feel different in comparison to other finals? I was a little bit nervous as my opponent was unseeded and she knocked out the number one seed in the semi-finals, so I knew it was going to be tough. A phone call to my coach so that we could have a chat about strategy and game plan was enough for me to back myself to believe I could win! I was also having little talks with myself throughout the day before the final that I knew I had put in the hard work and training for it.

What did you get up to after your win? So I had a rest day after the final and went to go and see the monkeys on the famous Gibraltar rock! But I went right back to training the next day because I still have two PSAs coming up in November – one in Exeter and then the London Open.

So when can we expect a visit? The visit will happen sooner than you think! I’m coming back to Colets for training and working as of November due to my PSAs being down South, so I’ll get to see my family and my Colets family! So I’m sure that you’ll get to see me on the court, in the gym, on reception or in the café bar! I like to keep busy! The league is also starting back up so I’m looking forward to beating the guys again!