Anahat Singh makes history as the youngest Asian woman to enter the world Top 20

Indian squash has witnessed several landmark moments over the decades, but few have felt as symbolic of a new era as what Anahat Singh achieved this week.

At just 17 years and 10 months, the Delhi teenager has become the youngest Asian female squash player in history to break into the PSA World Top 20, rising to a career-high World No.19 following her title-winning run at the Squash On Fire Open in the United States.

In a sport that demands physical maturity, tactical intelligence and emotional resilience, this is not just another ranking milestone. It is a statement that Indian squash now has a genuine global contender emerging far earlier than anyone expected.

A ranking earned through performance, not hype

Anahat’s breakthrough into the elite bracket of women’s squash was not the result of one good week against average opposition. It was built on one of the strongest tournament runs by any teenager on the PSA Tour in recent years.

At the Squash On Fire Open, a PSA Bronze event, Anahat defeated a succession of players ranked well above her, including World No.17, World No.23 and World No.10 en route to the title. Those victories did not just earn her a trophy they generated the ranking points needed to catapult her inside the Top 20.

The PSA World Squash Rankings Forecast now places her at World No.19, a remarkable leap for someone who was still juggling junior and senior events not long ago. What makes this ranking especially meaningful is the way it was achieved. Anahat did not rely on draws opening up or seeded players falling early. She directly beat higher-ranked opponents in pressure situations, proving that her ranking now reflects her true level on court.

Faster than Nicol David and Dipika Pallikal

The scale of Anahat’s achievement becomes clearer when placed in historical context.

By reaching the Top 20 at 17 years and 10 months, she has done it younger than two of Asia’s greatest women’s squash icons:

• Nicol David (Malaysia), an eight-time world champion, first entered the Top 20 at 18 years and 2 months.
• Dipika Pallikal (India), one of India’s most successful professionals, did so at 20 years.

These are not just symbolic comparisons. Nicol David went on to dominate women’s squash for over a decade. Dipika Pallikal helped take Indian women’s squash to unprecedented heights. For Anahat to reach this milestone even earlier suggests her potential ceiling is extraordinarily high.

Breaking into the Top 20 as a teenager is extremely rare in women’s squash. Doing it in Asia, a continent that has produced some of the most technically and tactically gifted players in the sport, makes it even more special.

Anahat’s rise has been built on more than raw talent. Her game already shows a blend of attributes that usually take players years to develop. Physically, she is among the best movers on the tour for her age. Her ability to retrieve, turn defence into attack, and stay strong deep into long rallies allows her to compete with older, stronger opponents.

Technically, her soft hands at the front of the court and her precise length game mean she does not rely on brute force. Against top players, this has allowed her to control tempo and dictate rallies, rather than simply react. Mentally, perhaps most impressively, she has shown an unusual calm under pressure. At the Squash On Fire Open, she came through multiple high-stakes matches, including comebacks from losing positions, without showing any signs of nerves.

Those qualities are exactly what separates elite players from merely talented ones.

What the Top 20 means for her future

Entering the world’s Top 20 changes everything. It brings Anahat into a new bracket of the PSA Tour one where she will gain direct entry into bigger events, face the best players more regularly, and earn more ranking points by simply winning early-round matches. It also changes how opponents view her. She is no longer an exciting junior or a dangerous outsider. She is now an established Top-20 professional, someone who will be seeded in many tournaments and targeted by others looking to make breakthroughs of their own.

For Indian squash, this is a watershed moment. A teenage Indian woman is now among the world’s elite, competing on equal terms with the sport’s biggest names.

Anahat Singh’s rise to World No.19 is not just a personal milestone it is a signal that the global squash landscape is shifting. At an age when most players are still learning the professional circuit, she is already rewriting records and redefining expectations.

The youngest Asian ever in the Top 20. Faster than Nicol David. Faster than Dipika Pallikal. Those numbers matter. But what matters even more is what lies ahead. And if her trajectory continues, Indian squash may soon be talking about far bigger goals than just breaking into the elite.