The 2026 British Junior Open (BJO) in Birmingham was never going to be an ordinary tournament.
Marking the centenary edition of one of junior squash’s most prestigious events, it brought together over 750 players from across the globe, showcasing how the sport has evolved from an elite British school competition into a truly global, professionalized pathway. Within this historic setting, the Girls Under-19 category emerged as the most compelling storyline largely because of India’s Anahat Singh and her pursuit of a rare U19 crown.
Already a three-time BJO champion in the U11, U15 and U17 categories, Anahat entered Birmingham as the top seed and the clear favourite. At stake was not just another junior title, but history: becoming only the second Indian woman after Joshna Chinappa (2005) to win the U19 British Junior Open. While the final ended in a narrow defeat, Singh’s silver medal run underlined why she is widely viewed as a generational talent and a central figure in the future of Indian and global squash.
A Final of Fine Margins
The GU19 final on January 6, 2026, against France’s Lauren Baltayan was a high-quality contest shaped by tactical adjustments and mental resilience rather than dominance. Baltayan, playing her final British Junior Open after six previous attempts, brought urgency and belief into the match. Singh, on the other hand, carried expectation and the weight of a flawless run through earlier rounds.
The 46-minute encounter swung repeatedly in momentum. Baltayan took the first game by neutralising Singh’s trademark front-court drops through relentless retrieval. Singh responded with composure in the second, using length and control to push her opponent off the “T” and level the match. The third game saw a rare dip from the Indian, which Baltayan seized ruthlessly. The fourth game became a battle of attrition, with Singh fighting to force a decider before Baltayan edged it 11–9 to seal her maiden BJO title .
While the scoreboard read silver for Singh, the match itself reinforced her standing at the very top of junior squash.
A Dominant Road to the Final
To judge Anahat Singh’s tournament solely by the final would be misleading. Her campaign leading up to it was a statement of authority. She dropped remarkably few points in the early rounds, dismantling opponents with a blend of precision, patience and ruthless efficiency.
Her straight-games win over Egypt’s Malak Elmaraghy in the Round of 16 and her composed semi-final victory against Malika El Karaksy—whom she had beaten in the 2025 U17 final—highlighted her ability to handle Egyptian opposition, traditionally the gold standard in junior squash. Even in the quarter-final, when pushed by Barb Sameh, Singh showed adaptability and depth, recovering after dropping a game to close the match convincingly.
In a tournament where Egypt once again dominated most categories, Singh’s run to the GU19 final stood out as a rare disruption of the established order.
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Anahat Singh’s significance extends well beyond junior titles. Born in March 2008, she has already compiled a résumé that blurs the line between junior prodigy and senior professional. She was the youngest Indian athlete to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a double Asian Games bronze medallist, and by the end of 2025 had broken into the world top 30, reaching a career-high ranking of 27.
Her rise has been fuelled by consistent success on the PSA World Tour, where she won multiple titles in 2024 and 2025 and recorded headline victories over established top-20 players, including world number seven Tinne Gilis. Those results have shifted expectations Anahat is no longer viewed as a future star but as a present one.
The British Junior Open silver, therefore, represents not a missed opportunity, but a transition point. It is her first U19 final at the BJO, following years of dominance in lower age groups, and it came against an opponent playing with the freedom of finality.
In elite junior sport, the difference between gold and silver is often psychological rather than technical. Singh’s loss came not from being outplayed, but from marginal lapses at crucial moments. That experience—performing under expectation in a centenary final adds to her growing bank of high-pressure exposure, something that will be invaluable as she continues her ascent on the professional circuit.
The timing is also significant. The 2026 season places Singh on a demanding schedule, including the Tournament of Champions in New York, one of the most prestigious events on the PSA calendar. Competing regularly against the world’s top players will now take precedence over junior milestones.
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The 2026 British Junior Open will be remembered for Egyptian dominance across most age groups, but the GU19 final told a different story—one of a more competitive, global future. Anahat Singh’s silver medal reinforced India’s growing presence at the highest levels of junior squash and underlined her role as the standard-bearer of the next era.
For Singh, Birmingham was not an ending but a marker along a much larger journey. With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics firmly in her sights, every such battle sharpens her readiness. The centenary British Junior Open did not give her gold but it offered something just as valuable: proof that she belongs at the summit, now and for years to come.
