Egyptian teen Amina Orfi beats El-Sherbini to win PSA world squash title | Sport News
Amina Orfi Captures PSA World Championship Title in Giza
GIZA, Egypt — Eighteen-year-old Amina Orfi made history at the 2026 Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Championships, defeating world number two Nour El-Sherbini in a gripping five-game final. With this victory, Orfi becomes the youngest women’s world champion in squash history.
Orfi secured the title with a score of 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 14-12 on Saturday in Giza. At 18 years and 10 months old, she is also the first player to simultaneously hold both world junior and senior PSA championship titles.
“I’m speechless,” Orfi said after claiming her 12th PSA title. “I worked so hard to get here and had so many tough losses this season.”
The defeat prevented El-Sherbini, 31, from winning her ninth world title, a milestone she achieved at the age of 20.
The final was noted for its intensity, becoming the eighth-longest women’s match ever and the second-longest PSA World Championships final, trailing only a 118-minute marathon between Rhonda Thorne and Vicki Hoffman in 1981.
In the match’s early stages, El-Sherbini won the first game with relative ease, as Orfi struggled to find her footing. However, the teenager rebounded fiercely in the next two games, edging closer to her first world championship.
Despite a resurgence from El-Sherbini in the fourth game, which she dominated to set the stage for a decisive fifth game, Orfi showcased her resilience. A powerful backhand sealed her victory as El-Sherbini failed to respond.
Earlier in the tournament, Orfi faced another significant challenge in the semifinals, overcoming top-ranked Hania El-Hammamy in four games. After losing the opening game 10-12, Orfi won the next three games with scores of 11-7, 11-8, and 11-9.
“I knew there was going to be pressure on both of them,” Orfi commented. “I knew I had the least pressure, and I went for it. I’m just so happy.”
Mostafa Asal Retains Men’s Title
In the men’s category, reigning champion Mostafa Asal successfully defended his title, defeating seventh-seeded Youssef Ibrahim with a decisive score of 11-4, 11-1, 12-10.
Ibrahim, who reached his first world championship final after overcoming second-seeded Paul Coll and former champion Karim Abdel Gawad, struggled to keep pace with Asal during the 57-minute match.
“It feels amazing to win the world championships in front of your family and friends,” said Asal, 25.
He praised Ibrahim’s determination, particularly given his shoulder injury. “He’s superhuman. He’s a good friend of mine, and we grew up together,” Asal added.
Asal acknowledged the pressures of defending his title in his home country, stating, “It’s never easy playing in Egypt to defend a world title. There’s so much pressure playing in front of everyone here.”
