Amina Orfi Youngest Women’s World No.1 After Qatar Classic Triumph
Amina Orfi Youngest Women’s World No.1 After Dramatic Final
Egypt’s Amina Orfi is set to become the youngest-ever women’s world No.1 in squash when the new rankings are released, achieving the milestone at the age of 19 years and two months. She secured the top position by winning the Qatar Classic in Doha.
Orfi defeated compatriot Hania El Hammamy, the reigning world No.1, in a dramatic five-game final that lasted 107 minutes. The Egyptian prevailed 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, surviving two championship points before eventually closing out the deciding game.
The victory ended El Hammamy’s 11-month spell at the top of the women’s rankings and gave Orfi her first Qatar Classic title.
Amina Orfi Youngest Women’s World No.1 Breaks 1984 Record
Orfi’s rise to the summit will break a record that has stood for more than four decades.
New Zealand’s Susan Devoy previously held the record after becoming world No.1 at 20 years and two months in 1984. Orfi will surpass that mark by reaching the top before turning 20.
The achievement is another major step in a season that has already transformed Orfi’s career. In May, she became the youngest women’s world squash champion at 18 years and 10 months after defeating eight-time champion Nour El Sherbini in a five-game final in Giza.
That victory also made Orfi the first woman to simultaneously hold the World Junior and PSA World Championship titles.
Amina Orfi Youngest Women’s World No.1 Completes Historic Year
The new ranking milestone gives Orfi two of the biggest achievements in squash in the same calendar year.
Her Qatar Classic campaign was particularly significant because she had to overcome the defending champion and then-world No.1 El Hammamy in a closely contested final. El Hammamy led 2-1 in games, but Orfi fought back to level the match before producing a composed finish in the deciding game.
Orfi had entered the Qatar Classic ranked No.2, behind El Hammamy. The September 14 rankings listed El Hammamy first and Orfi second, making the Doha final directly relevant to the battle for the summit.
The Egyptian has also spoken about her ambitions beyond becoming world No.1. Speaking to Olympics.com, Orfi said she wants to retain her world title and qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where squash will make its Olympic debut.
Amina Orfi Youngest Women’s World No.1 Puts Egypt Back at the Top
Orfi’s rise also adds another chapter to Egypt’s strong presence in women’s squash. She joins a long line of Egyptian players who have occupied the upper levels of the PSA rankings.
At only 19, however, Orfi has already combined junior success, a senior world title and now the world No.1 ranking.
Her victory in Doha therefore represents more than another tournament title. It marks the latest stage of a rapid progression that has taken Orfi from junior champion to senior world champion and, now, the youngest woman ever to reach the top of the squash rankings.
