Hannah Blatt's transition from Canadian junior squash prodigy to professional pickleball player showcases her athletic versatility and determination. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Hannah began her sporting career on the squash courts, quickly establishing herself as a standout junior player.
Now a professional pickleball player with a large social media following, she documents her journey for fans worldwide.
Junior Squash Career
As a young athlete, Hannah competed at the highest levels of junior squash in Canada. Her talent and dedication earned her a spot representing her country in both the Canada Winter and Summer Games. These experiences sharpened her competitive edge and laid the foundation for her future success.
Growing up, Hannah also played gymnastics, tennis, soccer, ultimate frisbee, track, and flag football. Saying she was athletic as a child would be a major understatement.
At age 12, Hannah shifted her focus from tennis to squash. Remarkably, she excelled at both sports, competing in the Canadian Summer Games twice—in both tennis and squash.
Though she began squash at 12, Hannah quickly became a phenomenon. Introduced to the sport by her father and grandfather, she faced the challenge of limited access to squash courts in Winnipeg, with only two locations offering facilities:
- The Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club – An all-men’s club where she was permitted to train for an hour and a half each Sunday.
- The Winnipeg Winter Club – Where she trained nearly every day.
Her youth squash coach, Trevor Borland, guided her development from ages 12 to 19, during which time Hannah became Canada’s No. 1-ranked girls' squash player. Frequently, she played against tougher competition, often competing a full division above her level. In training, she regularly played against men and older boys, rarely competing against girls her age. Hannah also consistently played for the Canadian Youth National Team.
Erik Tice
College Squash at Drexel University
Hannah's exceptional squash skills attracted numerous D1 offers, including from Penn, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Drexel. After visiting Drexel and Penn, she ultimately chose to become a Drexel Dragon.
Although squash isn’t officially sponsored by the NCAA, college squash teams compete under the College Squash Association (CSA), which follows NCAA guidelines and is governed by US Squash. Of the 37 schools in the U.S. offering squash, Drexel is one of the 14 that compete at the CSA Division 1 level.
In her freshman year (2017-18), Hannah posted her best statistical season, going 17-4 at the No. 4 position and setting the single-season wins record at Drexel.
Quick note: In college squash, teams field nine players. The No. 1 position is the strongest, and the No. 9 is the lowest.
In 2021-22, Noa Romero broke Hannah’s record with 18 wins, but Hannah remains second all-time for single-season wins in women’s squash at Drexel.
In her sophomore year, Hannah made a huge leap from the No. 4 to the No. 1 slot, facing stiffer competition, as many No. 1s also competed in professional squash. Adjusting to the increased level of play took time, but she still posted a 9-10 record overall.
Hannah’s college career was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic during her senior year, limiting her to three seasons at Drexel. Despite this, she ranks second for most wins in a season, ninth for most career wins (35), and eighth overall in wins per year (11.67).
Professional Squash Career
After college, Hannah took her skills to the professional squash circuit. She spent a year competing professionally, mostly in Canada and the U.S., with occasional appearances in Europe.
In pursuit of top-level competition, she moved from Philadelphia to Delray Beach, Florida, to train with the best squash pros in the country. During this time (2021-2022), she balanced playing professional squash with working full-time to support herself.
Erik Tice
Hannah’s squash career saw her rise from around No. 450 to No. 108 in the world rankings. However, after a year and a half, burnout set in, and she found herself in a rut—that’s when she discovered pickleball.
Professional Pickleball Career
Hannah’s move to Delray Beach, a hotspot for professional pickleball, may have been serendipitous for her pickleball career. In May 2023, she entered her first professional pickleball tournament at the Boca Raton APP New York City Open.
During the 2023 “Tour Wars,” Hannah signed exclusively with the PPA Tour and hasn’t looked back since.
Now a professional pickleball player for a year and a half, Hannah is a sponsored CRBN athlete. In one Instagram post, she embraced her Canadian roots, sharing her love for her "favourite" paddle.
She's also grateful to be a part of Team PB5star, an athletic apparel company that celebrates the community, camaraderie, and joy of pickleball.
Last November, Hannah quit her full-time job to dedicate herself fully to pickleball and social media content creation.
Hannah’s hard work has already paid off. In singles, she has notable wins over Lingwei Kong, Liz Truluck, Bryanna Ojeda, Camila Zilveti, and even took a game off Catherine Parenteau. In doubles, she has beaten Olivia McMillan and Jamie Haas. As she continues to rack up wins, she will earn better draws and advance further on the pro circuit.
Social Media Presence
In February, Hannah turned her focus to social media, where she now has over 100,000 Instagram followers. Her content centers around healthy living, exercise, food, and her life as a professional pickleball player.
One of her most popular challenges occurred last September when she committed to running or walking a mile a day for the entire month. “A mile isn’t hard,” she explained, “but it was a great way to show that, no matter what kind of day I was having, I was going to get that mile in.”
Erik Tice
Through her social media channels, Hannah aims to inspire others to live healthy lifestyles in ways that are both relatable and achievable.
On her YouTube channel, she shares vlogs about life on the road as a pro pickleball player.
In meeting with Hannah for this article, I found her to be both genuine and personable. She possesses the drive and athleticism to become a standout pickleball player, and I believe she is a name to watch in 2025.
Reflecting on her journey, Hannah says, “My life right now is a dream come true.”
