“That’s a scandal” said Joey.. But Castagnet Hungry for more…
On Sunday February 28 of this year, inside the magnificent Cathedral Hall of the University Club of Chicago, Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet pulled off arguably the sport’s greatest ever retrieval, a moment that encapsulated the dedication, commitment and desire that has embodied the decade-long career of the man from Aix-en-Provence.
The rally in question came during Castagnet’s second round Windy City Open encounter with England’s Daryl Selby, where Selby looked to have sealed the point with a trickle boast, only to see a herculean dive from Castagnet keep the ball in play, before the Frenchman sprinted the full length of the court to hit a stunning winner.
The result was a viral hit that transcended the sport’s usual audience. It was named ESPN’s top play of the day, shared by broadcasting giants such as BT Sport and accrued nearly one million views across social media and YouTube alone.
“That was amazing to see how Daryl and Joey [Barrington] reacted and how I retrieved the ball,” said Castagnet.
“So many people all around the world talk about this rally now. When I am looking back, I am happy to see what this rally brought to squash.
“The audience, sports channels, views, it’s all so important for the future.”
While the 29-hear-old’s heroics in Chicago stood out as one of the most memorable moments of the 2015/16 season, the past ten months have also seen Castagnet truly establish himself as one of the world’s elite.
The Frenchman has spoken in the past about how he has had to contend with people telling him he wasn’t good enough to play the game at the highest level but, after a season that saw him break into the world’s top 10 in September, he demonstrated just how wrong the naysayers were after lifting the prestigious Canary Wharf Classic four months ago.
A whirlwind week of squash in London’s iconic East Wintergarden saw Castagnet take on World Championship runner-up Omar Mosaad in the final, where he recovered from a game down to capture the coveted PSA M70 crown.
“That was the biggest win of my career,” he recalled.
“I can’t really express how I felt when I beat Omar in the final. I almost cried to be honest. I trained so hard every day, so I would like to thank life for bringing me this moment.”
Castagnet was rewarded with a move up to a career-high World No.6 ranking two months later, but the last few tournaments of his season were marred by illness and injury, with disappointing early exits at the British Open and El Gouna International putting his place in the top eight of the PSA Road to Dubai Standings in jeopardy.
However, Castagnet’s early-season prowess at World Series events – which saw him reach a maiden World Series semi-final in January’s Tournament of Champions – meant he qualified in seventh to achieve his place at the lucrative season-ending PSA Dubai World Series Finals.
As for the training schedule that will bring him up to speed ahead of next season?
“First, I will train two weeks outside of the squash court and then five weeks in a row on the squash court. I’ll have two sessions per day from Monday to Friday and have Saturday and Sunday off.“Every morning, I am at the gym doing weights, the watt bike and other exercises. Then every afternoon I am on the squash court. I do two hours of training in the morning and in the afternoon.“My favourite exercise is to play on the diagonal. It’s a simple game with two corners allowed, for example the front right side and back left side.”
Now back to full fitness and in the midst of a gruelling pre-season fitness regime, Castagnet is set to renew his attempts to break into the world’s top five next season, which he says is his ultimate goal.
“I’ve almost spent one year in the top 10,” said Castagnet.
“Today, I have so much motivation to keep improving and performing and reach my goal to be in the top five. So many Egyptians and young players are coming up though, so it will be tough. I hope to use my experience to make the difference with the youngest players.”