Two of world squash’s best- known players, and sporting pioneers, took to the court at Devonshire Squash Racquets Association last night.

Rachael Grinham, a former world No 1, and Jenny Duncalf, once a world No 2, took on each other in a match with a difference. Normally, the pair are a team, and an historic team, as Grinham and Duncalf are the first squash pros to publicly come out as gay while still playing.

Grinham, a 40-year-old Australian, is the elder stateswoman on the PSA tour. She is at present No 18 in the world, reached the top of the world rankings in 2004 and has won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Duncalf, a Dutch-born Englishwoman, is six years younger, and ranked No 14 after reaching No 2 in 2009, and the couple were the subject of a recent feature in US Squash’s Squash Magazine.

They played in the same tournament in Poughkeepsie, New York in 2007 and had moved in together in 2009, at which point rumours were spreading and Duncalf’s coach and stepfather, David Pearson, confronted them about the relationship.

“What I told her then is what I believe now,” Pearson told Squash Magazine. “We are thrilled she’s found someone who makes her happy. We are happy for her because she’s happy. We totally support her. The only problem we have with it is that we’ll have to nip off all the way to Australia to see them.”

As far as playing is concerned Duncalf is more intense, Grinham more chilled out.

“I wanted to play the best, watch the best,” Duncalf said. “I was excited to be at the big tournaments. I loved squash and wanted to be around it all day long. That isn’t how I feel now — that was a part of my squash learning curve.”

Grinham is more unorthodox player.

“I play on instinct,” she said. “My main thing is to keep my opponent guessing, to not allow her to get any rhythm.”

They live together in Brisbane, Australia and plan to play in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, about an hour’s drive from Brisbane on the Gold Coast.

Grinham is not someone who naturally gravitates to coaching, according to Squash Magazine, while Duncalf could possibly become a teaching pro or coach and is commentating for SquashTV.

“Intelligent and quality,” is how Joey Barrington, the lead SquashTV commentator, described Duncalf’s interviewing style.

But for now, according to the article, they do not see themselves as leaders or spokeswomen for a movement. They are more comfortable as two women who happen to love each other than as pioneering activists.

For the full article go to: http://squashmagazine.ussquash.com/2017/05/love-is-love-is-love-jenny-duncalf-rachael-grinham-champions-on-court-pioneers-off-court/