
Kenilworth squash ace Sarah-Jane Perry has announced her retirement from the sport.
The former world number five and Commonwealth silver medalist's career came to an end after the British Open in Birmingham this month as she exited at the third round stage to Nour El Sherbini.
The 35-year-old reached her career high ranking in July 2020, competed at two Commonwealth Games and represented her country over 100 times across a distinguished career.
Kenilworth Town Council agreed to write to congratulate the former national champion on her career earlier this month.
"I'm very proud of playing in 100 matches for England, especially as we're such a strong squash nation," Perry said to World Squash.
"I haven't had time yet to think about all my years in an England shirt, but I'm sure I'll reflect more once I've finished playing after the British Open.
"Every time you play for England is special.
"Squash is an individual sport and most of the time you're playing for your own interests. Being part of a team doesn't happen all that often, so they are moments I'll really cherish."
During the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham Perry claimed the bronze medal in the women's singles before taking the silver in the women's doubles with Alison Waters.
The duo lost to New Zealand's Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy in straight games in the final.
In an interview with Nub News in 2021, Birmingham-born Perry said she began playing squash at Four Oaks before moving to Warwickshire and continuing to play at Kenilworth Tennis, Squash and Croquet Club.
"I attribute a lot of my success and enjoyment of squash to Steve Townsend, coach at Kenilworth as well as Warwick Uni, who coached me from 10 until 25," she said at the time.
"He taught me to play the way I enjoyed, maximise my strengths and ignore others' expectations of me, something I still draw on to this day."
Perry's first major success on the court came at the age of 18 when she won her British Junior Championships title in the under-19 category, progressing to the European Junior Title in Germany which she also clinched.
Her career took off further while at the University of Warwick where she studied Engineering and Business before turning professional in her final year.
Perry also won the silver in the women's singles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
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