At just 17, Anahat Singh’s rise into the upper echelons of world squash marks one of the most significant moments in the sport’s history in India.
Singh’s 2025 season was not merely about results it represented a shift in how Indian squash is structured, supported, and executed at the elite level. In a sport long dominated by Egypt’s near-flawless talent pipeline, Singh’s surge from world No. 82 in March to No. 28 by December stands out as both exceptional and instructive .
Born on March 13, 2008, in New Delhi, Anahat Singh grew up in a household where competitive sport was second nature. Her parents, both former field hockey players, understood the discipline elite sport demands. Interestingly, squash was not her first choice. Like many young Indian athletes of her generation, she began with badminton, inspired by the success of P.V. Sindhu. The transition to squash came through family influence, watching her elder sister compete nationally a familiar pathway in elite athlete development .
Singh’s junior career between 2019 and 2022 was marked by dominance across continents. Titles at the British Junior Open, European Junior Open, US Junior Open, and Asian Junior Championships established her as one of the most accomplished juniors globally. The decision to field her at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at just 14 was a calculated gamble by Indian selectors, one that paid off in terms of exposure and accelerated maturity. That early senior experience proved crucial to what followed.
What separates Anahat Singh from many prodigious juniors is the clarity of her playing identity. While modern squash often rewards brute physicality and relentless pace, Singh’s game is built on precision, timing, and tactical control. Coaches and analysts frequently describe her style as “ice-cold” a reflection of her ability to dictate rallies from the T, disrupt rhythm, and finish points with surgical accuracy. Her backhand flick kill in the front court has already become a signature shot, relying more on deception and wrist strength than raw power.
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Equally notable has been her adaptability at the senior level. During her upset win over world No. 7 Tinne Gilis in 2025, Singh identified patterns mid-match and adjusted her defensive structure to neutralize her opponent’s strengths. These are not the instincts of a junior learning the ropes; they are markers of a player already thinking several rallies ahead.
The statistical arc of her 2025 season underscores this transformation. Starting the year ranked outside the top 130, Singh climbed into the top 30 by December. This leap is critical not only symbolically but structurally because it grants direct entry into Platinum and Diamond-level PSA events. For the first time, Singh’s competitive calendar will be shaped almost entirely by the world’s top 20 players, accelerating her path toward true elite contention .
Her most defining senior milestone came at the 2025 Squash World Cup in Chennai, where India claimed its first-ever title. Singh won every rubber she played, including a pivotal five-game victory over Egypt’s Nour Heikal in the semi-finals. Egypt’s dominance at global events has long been considered unshakeable, making that win and India’s eventual gold symbolic of a broader power shift. Singh sealed the final against Hong Kong with a straight-games win, delivering the decisive point under pressure .
Parallel to her senior breakthroughs, Singh continued her dominance in continental and junior competitions. At the Asian Doubles Championships, she won gold in both women’s and mixed doubles, while also defending her Under-19 Asian title. These results reinforced her versatility across formats and her ability to adapt to different tactical demands.
Perhaps the most telling narrative of 2025 was her repeated victories over Joshna Chinappa, the torchbearer of Indian women’s squash for nearly two decades. Singh defeated Chinappa in multiple high-stakes finals, often in five-game marathons. While Chinappa’s experience and court craft remained evident, Singh’s physical endurance and composure in deciders hinted at a generational transition rather than a rivalry defined by confrontation .
Her bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Cairo ended a 15-year medal drought for Indian women at the event. Competing in Egypt, under hostile conditions, Singh’s run to the semi-finals and eventual podium further cemented her reputation for emotional control and competitive resilience.
Crucially, Singh’s rise is not an isolated success. It reflects the growing professionalism of Indian squash, driven by the SRFI-HCL ecosystem. The expansion of the domestic PSA Challenger circuit, combined with TOPS support and international training stints, has created a pathway where elite Indian players can progress without excessive dependence on overseas tours. Balancing this elite sporting life with academics has added another layer of complexity.
Enrolled in the demanding IB curriculum, Singh has navigated a packed international calendar alongside examinations and coursework often studying between matches. This discipline mirrors her on-court persona: controlled, focused, and methodical. Looking ahead, the roadmap is clear. A top-15 world ranking by 2026, sustained exposure at Gold-level PSA events, and peaking for squash’s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
At 17, Anahat Singh is no longer just India’s brightest squash prospect. She is already a central pillar in the country’s Olympic ambition and a genuine contender in a sport long resistant to new power centres.
