Petros Tzamaloukas has called time on his playing career after an incredible 30 years representing the Greek national team.
Having competed in 26 European Team Championships, a World Team Championship and 20 PSA events, the 50-year-old revealed that he would be stepping away from the national team to focus on his coaching career.
The former World No.105 made his international debut at the European Team Championships of 1994 in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, and made his first appearance at the World Team Championships a year later.
Speaking to Europeansquash.com, Tzamaloukas revealed the treasured memories from his first ever experience representing his country.
He recalled: “I played at no.5 against a Dutch player on the centre court and I was losing 9-0, 9-0, 8-0. On match point, I played an unbelievable winning shot on my backhand and the whole place stood up and clapped. This made me really happy!”
Tzamaloukas first played squash as a child at his home club, the Athens Tennis and Squash Club, but at that point he was a tennis player and didn’t have the right equipment.
“I played squash with a tennis racket to start with as I couldn’t afford a squash racket, but an older member of the club gave me a wooden squash racket,” Tzamaloukas explained.
“I really liked the game because it was fast and intense. I had the technique from tennis so it was quite easy to start winning trophies at junior level.”
A landmark moment came when Egyptian legend Gamal Awad started coaching him in Athens. “He was one of the most important people I met in my career,” reflected Tzamaloukas. “He gave me my first taste of high-level squash training. He was a fantastic guy and great coach. He was an idol for me.”
Competing on the PSA Tour in the 1990s and 2000s was hard graft due to the expense and difficulties of travelling. He won two Greek national titles but also lost 13 times in the final to rival Fabian Kalaitzis.
However, Tzamaloukas says: “The journey and the people are what matter: the friends I made all over the world, the experiences, the opponents who made me better, and the challenges that shaped who I am.”
Looking back over his playing days, the undoubted highlight was representing Greece on 156 occasions, most notably in 26 editions of the European Team Championships.
“I will never forget the parties!” he laughs. “When all the divisions were played together [pre-2010], I played on the next door court to Nick Matthew, Peter Nicol and John Whyte. It was always a wonderful experience.”
The 50-year-old is heading to Connecticut, USA, this summer to host some squash camps and will then return to Athens to seek a full-time coaching role.
His influence as a coach is already strong in his native land: he estimates that he’s coached 80% of the current Greek national team. Back in 2016, he took the first ever Greece team to compete in the European U17 Mixed Team Championships in Hasselt, Belgium.
“We have never missed a European Mixed Team U17 Championships since then,” he says. “We’re always there, we try our best and we’ve had a couple of wins in the last few years. Those players from 2016 now play for the men’s and women’s national teams. It’s so nice to know I am leaving a legacy.”
Reflecting on his career, Tzamaloukas paid homage to the sport and his supporters: “I am deeply grateful for everything this sport has given me: the travels, the friendships, the experiences, the opponents who made me better, and the challenges that shaped who I am.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone who stood by me on this journey—my family, my coaches, my club, the Federation, my teammates, my friends, the incredible people I met around the world on Tour, and all those who believed in me. Your support made everything possible.
“Squash does not end for me—I continue with the same passion, now as a coach. Passing on my knowledge and experience to the new generation is now my main mission.”