India’s Anahat Singh produced the biggest win of her young career at the Silicon Valley Open, beating eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini in straight games in Redwood City, California. The 18-year-old defeated the world No. 3 and top seed 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 in just 30 minutes on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the $143,500 PSA Gold event. It was the first meeting between the two players, and the Anahat Singh squash win was the biggest of her career so far.
ElSherbini, the Egyptian star, arrived as the favourite and one of the most successful players the sport has seen. The Indian held her nerve from the first rally, never letting the eight-time world champion settle, and closed out the Anahat Singh squash upset without dropping a game.
How the Anahat Singh squash upset unfolded in Redwood City
Anahat set the tone early, taking the first game 11-8 with sharp, attacking play. The second game followed the same pattern, with the teenager keeping ElSherbini under pressure to win it 11-8 again. The Anahat Singh squash upset was built on clean hitting and steady nerves, and she finished the third game 11-7 to complete the straight-games victory in half an hour.
Anahat was not the only young player making an impression in California. Asian Games champion Sivasangari Subramaniam arrived in Redwood City with momentum of her own, while second seed Olivia Weaver returned from injury to defend her title in front of the home crowd.
For Anahat, the win carried a personal meaning beyond the scoreline. ElSherbini was one of her inspirations as a junior, and the teenager spoke about facing a player whose career she had followed closely. “I grew up watching her every game,” Anahat said after the match. “We have the same coach, Greg. I admire her and I want to achieve the things she has achieved in her career. She is an inspiration to all squash players,” she added.
Anahat Singh squash rise: junior world champion to top-10 win
The result confirmed the rapid Anahat Singh squash rise on the professional circuit. The two players share a coach, Greg, which gave Wednesday’s match an unusual edge for the teenager. Anahat said she had grown up watching ElSherbini, and she described the Egyptian as an inspiration to all squash players. The 18-year-old is the reigning junior world champion, having won the World Junior Squash Championships in July, and she took silver at the recent Asian Games in Japan. She is ranked 15th in the world and has been moving steadily up the PSA Tour rankings this season.
ElSherbini came to Redwood City as the top seed in the women’s draw, looking to win a second Gold-level title of 2026 and close the gap on world No. 1 Amina Orfi and No. 2 Hania El Hammamy. Her defeat was a major statement by Anahat, who had never faced a player of ElSherbini’s standing before Wednesday.
Anahat’s run in Redwood City began on Tuesday with another straight-games win. She beat Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 in her opening match, which lasted 31 minutes, to set up the second-round Anahat Singh squash clash with ElSherbini. The PSA Tour’s live coverage noted that Aboulmakarim tested her with strong retrieving skills, but could not turn her chances into scoreboard pressure.
What the quarter-final brings
The win takes Anahat into the quarter-finals of the Silicon Valley Open, where she will face another leading player from the women’s draw. The Anahat Singh squash momentum from Redwood City follows a season in which she has already won the world junior title and an Asian Games silver, and the 30-minute win over ElSherbini was described as her career-best victory.
Anahat’s composure against the top seed was evident from the first game, and she closed out the win in 30 minutes without dropping a game. For Indian squash, the Anahat Singh squash breakthrough in Redwood City continues a season of junior and senior milestones for the teenager. The Silicon Valley Open, a Gold-level PSA event, runs until Saturday in Redwood City.