What happened
In Round 2 of the PSA Gold Silicon Valley Open 2026 in Redwood City, world No. 15 Anahat Singh beat top-seeded eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7) in roughly 30 minutes.
Why it matters
The win lifts the 18-year-old into the quarter-finals against Salma Hany and marks the biggest victory of her career, weeks after her Asian Games 2026 silver medal.
Remember this
Anahat Singh turned a lifelong idol-defying dream into a 30-minute, straight-games win.
More context & who is affected
Mumbai teenager Anahat Singh handed top seed Nour ElSherbini a three-game thrashing — 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 — that took barely half an hour to seal in Round 2 of the PSA Gold Silicon Valley Open 2026 at Redwood City, USA.
Ranked world No. 15, the 18-year-old earlier got past Nour Aboulmakarim 11-8, 11-8, 12-10, and had built a 9-1 lead in the opener against ElSherbini before the Egyptian rallied. The tournament carries a $143,500 purse.
Next comes quarter-final favourite Salma Hany of Egypt, ranked world No. 14. It is the biggest win of Singh's career, weeks after her Asian Games 2026 silver medal.
- Match score
- 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7) Straight-games win by Anahat Singh over Nour ElSherbini in about 30 minutes.The HinduPSA Squash Tour
- Prize purse
- $143,500 Total purse for the PSA Gold Silicon Valley Open 2026 in Redwood City, USA.The Hindu
- Next opponent
- Salma Hany Egyptian quarter-finalist, world No. 14, seeded No. 6.PSA Squash Tour
Match timeline
- Round 1 — Singh beats Nour Aboulmakarim 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 in 31 minutes.
- Round 2 — Singh leads 9-1 in the opener, then closes out 3-0 in about 30 minutes.
- Quarter-finals — Singh faces Salma Hany of Egypt.
Indian Sports Fans · Youth Sports
India's rise in men's and women's squash just went national: a teen from Mumbai beat the game's eight-time world champion in front of a global audience.
Squash Enthusiasts · Indian Sports Fans
The win lifts Singh into the quarter-finals against Egypt's Salma Hany, her closest test of this run and her biggest career opportunity.
Youth Sports
A teen idol-defying story gives Indian squash players a concrete role model and keeps the sport's national visibility climbing after Asian Games 2026.
Reporting fromThe Hindu ↗PSA Squash Tour ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- The HinduReporting
Anahat stuns eight-time world champion El Sherbini at Silicon Valley Open ↗
Published Oct 22, 2026 · Accessed Oct 23, 2026 - PSA Squash TourOfficialPublished Oct 21, 2026 · Accessed Oct 23, 2026
Claims and linked sources
World No. 15 Anahat Singh beat top-seeded eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7) in roughly 30 minutes in Round 2 of the Silicon Valley Open 2026.
It is the biggest victory of Anahat Singh's 18-year-old career, coming weeks after her Asian Games 2026 silver medal.
The PSA Gold Silicon Valley Open 2026 carries a $143,500 prize purse; Singh's quarter-final opponent is world No. 14 Salma Hany of Egypt.
Speaking after the match, Anahat Singh said: 'I've grown up watching every single match of hers.'
