Boast About It: Rahgu 'Reddy' to grow Squash

Reddy grew up playing many sports in Mumbai, India, including cricket and soccer. His first squash experience was with his father, a recreational player who “didn’t have a backhand” and would simply switch hands to hit everything as a forehand. At 12 years old, Raghu found squash extremely challenging, but he stuck with it because he loved the sense of community around the sport.

After pushing through the early struggles, he eventually made the Indian Junior National Team and reached as high as #5 in the junior rankings. Reddy laughs when remembering one particular junior tournament, where—lacking any appreciation for pre-match nutrition—he indulged in a large plate of fried calamari right before playing. It ended up being the “worst experience of his life,” trying to survive the match with a very upset stomach… all while squash legend Jahangir Khan watched from courtside.
“He was sitting right there watching me play the worst squash I had ever played,” Reddy says, now able to laugh it off. Fortunately, it taught him an important lesson about match preparation.

Reddy eventually came to the U.S. for college, choosing Seattle. He wasn’t focused on competing in college squash; he simply wanted to keep playing the sport he loved. He joined the Club Team, which reached its highest ranking during his time there. “It was really special to be part of that team and to experience college in Seattle — I’m really grateful for that chapter of my life.”
The strong Data Science and Engineering program was a major draw for him and ultimately led to his career as a Data Scientist today.

Reddy believes there is an enormous future for Data Science and AI in squash. He envisions squash data being used to improve performance, enhance the spectator experience, and grow the sport overall. For example, testing the hypothesis: Do players who volley more actually win more rallies? Understanding these trends could help validate (or challenge) common coaching advice. Reddy sees this as a way of giving back to a sport and community that have given so much to him.

After graduating in 2019, Reddy took a three-year hiatus from squash due to a knee injury — tearing both his ACL and meniscus after jumping off a fence. Being off court for so long renewed his appreciation for movement and competition, and he now regularly practices yoga to take care of his body. Another hypothesis he hopes to explore one day: Does yoga improve your squash rating?

Reddy’s passion for both squash and data analysis opens the door to a very exciting future for the sport. He believes there is a huge gap in the market — with countless hypotheses waiting to be tested — and a real opportunity for analytics and AI to elevate the entire squash experience.
We can’t wait to see where he takes it.