The sport of racketlon combines four of the biggest existing racket sports: squash, badminton, tennis and table tennis. A single set is played in each, ordered from smallest to biggest by racket size, with the winner of each set being the first to reach 21 points or more with a minimum lead of two points.
For 17-year-old Racketlon Champion Luke Griffiths, the concept of winning is all too familiar. His first singles World Championship victory in 2015 (aged just 12) became the first of five consecutive singles titles in as many years. Luke added to this individual success with doubles and teams victories, most recently the 2019 World Team Championships for Great Britain (where he won all four of his doubles matches). He shared many of these wins with his older brother, Leon Griffiths – himself a title-winning Racketlon prodigy. Now, with cancelled competitions and the UCAS application process inching closer, Luke joins the nation’s Year 12 cohort in contemplating his future career steps.
Luke’s initial interest in racketlon came from watching his brother and parents, with his mother and father playing badminton for Surrey and racketlon for England respectively. Over time, this interest developed into a passion, fuelled in part by the fearsome pair that he and his brother made – particularly in badminton, where Leon’s height suited him to the back of the court while Luke took care of matters closer to the net. Even during the first lockdown, many years on, this partnership proved invaluable in maintaining a ‘high standard’ of training: although the three indoor sports were not allowed to take place, Luke appreciates the vast improvement in tennis that they made together through daily practice. As is often the case, healthy competition can make all the difference to an athlete’s performance.
As might be expected, the last year or so has been markedly different. With Leon starting a Mathematics degree at university, Luke initially found it ‘much tougher’ to maintain the same level of focus and consistency as before. In an attempt to reignite some of the old passion, he occasionally watches videos of his younger self training for upcoming competitions, which brings many fond memories and provides an emotionally resonant form of motivation. When asked whether he would do anything differently in hindsight, Luke said that he would have probably ‘enjoyed it a bit more, while still keeping the goal in my head’.
Lockdown has also given Luke the opportunity to concentrate on the first year of his A-Levels. Taking Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Geography has left his options open for further study, which he ‘definitely’ wants to continue at university. He admits that a career in racketlon may only appeal to him if it becomes a part of the Olympics, which is unlikely to happen in the near future. Before he makes any decisions with certainty, however, Luke is keen to reassess the level of competition post-lockdown. His increased height, he suspects, could yet play a part in his future as a Racketlon World Champion.
