Egyptian Squash Players Rule the Women's Game

New York Times

01-07-2025

Nouran Gohar said she started her athletic life as a swimmer and rhythmic gymnast. She hated both, often sobbing through strict gymnastic training sessions that would last at least five hours.
She played handball, too, becoming good enough to be recruited for the Egyptian junior national team. But the day, at age 9, that she jumped on a squash court, just for fun with her father, fireworks figuratively exploded in the air.
'That day was the beginning of my career,' said Gohar, 27, speaking by phone during the British Open last month in Birmingham, England. 'It was the first time I was really having fun in a sport.'
Gohar is now the top-ranked women's squash player in the world. She has reached the final of the British Open seven times, securing her third championship last month. She has won the U.S. Open four times and captured the Professional Squash Association Women's World Championship in 2024.
Another Egyptian, Nour El Sherbini, who first held a squash racket when she was 6, is ranked No. 2. With eight titles, she is tied with Nicol David from Malaysia for having won the most Women's World Squash Championships.
Hania El Hammamy, the third-ranked player, and Amina Orfi, at No. 5, are also Egyptians who started young. Over the last decade, 19 of the 20 finalists at the world championships have been from Egypt. Players from the country have also won six women's world team championships since 2008, including in 2024.
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