Representative image. Nettrom, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Wins over top-ranked players lift an athlete's ranking, which decides seedings at the biggest events. With squash entering the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028, results like this show India has a teenager who can beat the sport's best.
Anahat Singh, the 18-year-old from New Delhi, beat eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini of Egypt 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 at the Silicon Valley Open in Redwood City, California, on 21 October 2026 (US time). The match took 30 minutes and sent the Indian into the quarter-finals of the event, which is part of the PSA Squash Tour run by the Professional Squash Association.
ElSherbini was the top seed and is ranked No. 3 in the world. Anahat is ranked No. 15. The PSA called it the biggest win of her career so far.
How Anahat Singh beat Nour ElSherbini in straight games
Anahat took the first game 11-8 as the evening session began. In the second she raced to a 9-1 lead, then had to hold off a strong fightback from the Egyptian before closing it out at 11-8, according to the PSA’s live coverage. The third went 11-7, and the match was over in half an hour.
A straight-games win over a player of ElSherbini’s record is rare. The Egyptian has won the world title eight times, which equals the record held by Malaysia’s Nicol David, and she has won four British Opens, the Times of India reported. She came to California as the clear favourite.
Anahat had reached the second round by beating another Egyptian, Nour Aboulmakarim, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 in 31 minutes, the Sunday Guardian reported.
It was not the only shock of the day in Redwood City. Egypt’s Sana Ibrahim knocked out the No. 4 seed, Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, in straight games, while in the men’s draw Pakistan’s Noor Zaman beat world No. 4 Karim Gawad of Egypt 3-1 for the biggest win of his career, the PSA reported. Second seed Olivia Weaver of the United States and men’s top seed Diego Elias of Peru both won to stay on course.
With ElSherbini out, Weaver is the highest seed left in the women’s draw.
“Grown up watching every single match”
After the match, Anahat spoke about facing a player she has followed since childhood. “I have grown up watching every single match of hers,” she said in comments shared by the PSA. She added that the two share a coach, Greg, and that she wants to achieve what ElSherbini has done in her career.
The coach she referred to is Grégory Gaultier of France, a former world No. 1. He works with Anahat alongside India’s Saurav Ghosal and Stéphane Galifi, the Times of India reported.
The Silicon Valley Open is a PSA Gold event with a prize fund of $143,500, according to the Times of India. This is Anahat’s second quarter-final at a Gold event, the PSA said.
Who is Anahat Singh, India’s squash teenager
Anahat was born in New Delhi on 13 March 2008 and turned professional in 2023, the Times of India reported. She won the women’s world junior title earlier in 2026, becoming India’s first world junior champion, and took the women’s singles silver at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
She has climbed fast on the senior tour. She became the youngest Asian player to break into the women’s top 20 and has already won several PSA titles, the Times of India reported.
The timing matters for Indian squash. Squash makes its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, and a teenager beating the world No. 3 gives India a contender for the years ahead. Indian sport has had a busy month, with India’s para athletes collecting medals at the Asian Para Games.
Anahat Singh vs Salma Hany: quarter-final time in IST
Anahat now plays Egypt’s Salma Hany, ranked No. 14 in the world, in the quarter-finals. The match is set for 2.15 pm local time on Thursday, 22 October, which is 2.45 am IST on Friday, 23 October, the Sunday Guardian reported. The two have never met before on the tour.
The tournament runs until 24 October. The PSA tournament page lists the draw and results, and matches are streamed on the tour’s SQUASHTV service.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score in Anahat Singh vs Nour ElSherbini?
Anahat won 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 in 30 minutes.
Who does Anahat Singh play next?
Egypt's world No. 14 Salma Hany in the quarter-finals, at 2.45 am IST on Friday, 23 October 2026.
What is Anahat Singh's world ranking?
She is ranked No. 15 in the world, according to reports on the match.