Along with the stars at the top of the World Rankings and those who have been picking up the major titles on the PSA Squash Tour, there have been a number of breakout stars over the course of the 2024 calendar year.
Below we’ve taken a look at four players who have ascended the world rankings with a series of big performances over the last 12 months.
Mohamad Zakaria
At the age of just 17, Mohamad Zakaria has firmly placed himself as one of the stars for the future on the PSA Squash Tour, delivering a number of performances beyond his years in the last 12 months.
Over the course of 2024, Zakaria has climbed 54 spots in the PSA World Rankings, moving all the way from 82 to 28.
In addition to winning the World Junior Championships over the summer, teenage sensation Zakaria claimed the 20k CNS International title and his first World Event success at the Copper-level NASH Cup in September.
Zakaria’s impressive performances over the opening months of the 2024/25 season have been particularly impressive. The Egyptian has claimed upset wins over a number of well-established players, including Sebastien Bonmalais, Dimitri Steinmann, Timothy Brownell, and Gregoire Marche.
In three successive events between October and the end of November, Zakaria hit career-firsts, reaching a maiden Bronze-level quarter-final appearance at the Open Squash Classic, a first-ever Silver-level quarter-final at the China Open, and then a run to a debut Gold-level quarter-final at the Singapore Open.
Fayrouz Aboelkheir
Along with Zakaria, fellow Egyptian teenager Fayrouz Aboelkheir has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the PSA Squash Tour, firmly cementing herself in the top 20 in the women’s rankings.
Currently ranked at World No.11, Aboelkheir has climbed an impressive 17 spots over the course of 2024 and recorded a number of highlight victories at major events.
The 18-year-old started the calendar year off with a maiden quarter-final run at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York while also reaching this stage at three further major events: PSA World Championships, Paris Squash and U.S. Open Championships.
In particular, Aboelkheir’s ability to trouble many of the world’s elite players has been evident, with the rising star defeating the likes of Georgina Kennedy, Nele Coll, and Salma Hany in Platinum events this year, as well as almost toppling World No.3 Hania El Hammamy in a five-game thriller in Paris.
After defeat in the Carol Weymuller final back in January, next on Aboelkheir’s tick list will be a title victory in a World Event on the PSA Squash Tour.
