Was There A Squash Court On The Titanic?

As a sport, the thrilling combination of speed, skill and reflexes has made squash increasingly popular, with courts being regularly refurbished.

This popularity will only increase in 2028 as Squash finally becomes an Olympic event after decades of attempts, but its historic reputation also means that the sport is interlinked with one of the most famous ships in history.

The RMS Titanic is one of the most famous vessels to ever sail, albeit not for the reasons that its designers and manufacturers ever intended.

It was meant to be the last word in luxury ocean liners, providing the best way to cross the Atlantic in an age before the jetliner. To that end, it had an almost limitless number of luxury amenities.

One of these, located on G-Deck, was a dedicated squash court, available only to passengers with first-class cabins. It was the first squash court to be fitted to a boat, alongside the court fitted to the Olympic.

It cost two shillings or 50 cents to use the court for half an hour, passengers could use the court for up to an hour if there was a queue, and balls and racquets could be bought from Frederick Wright, the professional squash player who attended the court.

As well as this, he would also be the opponent for anyone who wanted to play him, would offer lessons and understood the types of games each player wanted at the time. There was also a viewing area on F deck where people could watch.

Mr Wright claimed that the Titanic’s squash court was the best in a letter to his sister, and whilst the only evidence of its existence was a handful of pictures and accounts, it looked very impressive for its time.

Colonel Archibald Gracie, a survivor of the Titanic who wrote a personal account of his experience, had played a game with Mr Wright and had booked to play another.

Before that could happen, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. The room was flooded minutes after the call for help was sent, and it is believed that Mr Wright’s last words were “Yes, we'd better” to Colonel Gracie's query about whether that appointment should be cancelled.

It has never been explored since, and its condition is unknown.