Professional Squash (PSA) Tours. In August 2024 the Professional Squash Association (PSA) rebranded its circuit as the PSA Squash Tour, organised into four divisions: World Events, Challenger Events, Satellite Events, and Federation Events.
World Events (formerly the World Tour) remain the top-level tournaments, now classified into six prize tiers: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and the new Copper tier. These tiers carry minimum prize pools per tournament, with most events exceeding their tier minimum:
| Tier | Minimum prize pool (per tournament) |
|---|---|
| Diamond | ~$300,000 |
| Platinum | ~$190,000 |
| Gold | ~$100,000 |
| Silver | ~$75,000 |
| Bronze | ~$50,000 |
| Copper | ~$25,000 |
The 2024-25 season featured two Diamond tournaments, the CIB Egyptian Open and the British Open, each with a 48-player draw. The British Open in mid-2025 carried a combined pool of $737,000, split evenly between the men's and women's draws.
Beneath World Events are the PSA Challenger tournaments for rising pros, which offer prize money across five levels: $15K, $12K, $9K, $6K, and $3K. Smaller Satellite and Federation events, often national opens or local championships run by national bodies, sit below the Challenger tier and give aspiring players a pathway into the pro ranks.
The season ends with the year-end PSA Squash Tour Finals, an 8-player championship (round-robin then knockout) for the top-ranked qualifiers in separate men's and women's draws. The 2024-25 Finals, held in Toronto in June 2025, carried a $300,000 prize pool and was won by Joel Makin (men) and Nouran Gohar (women).
PSA's 2024 rebrand introduced the new PSA Squash Tour structure and visual identity, dividing professional events into World, Challenger, Satellite, and Federation tiers.
Rankings (Professional). PSA world rankings are based on a rolling 52-week points total, averaged across a player's counting tournaments using a divisor system with a minimum divisor of 11 events (reintroduced in January 2024). Points are earned by how far a player advances in each event, with higher-tier tournaments awarding more points.
As of late 2024, Egyptian players dominated the men's rankings, with Ali Farag at world No. 1 and Mostafa Asal, Diego Elias of Peru, and Paul Coll of New Zealand all near the top. On the women's side, Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar, both of Egypt, held the leading positions and traded the No. 1 ranking through the season. Weekly ranking updates determine entry lists and seedings for all PSA events.
Prize Money and Tiers. Prize money in the PSA Squash Tour is structured by tier. The PSA World Championships, the season's flagship singles event, carried a 64-player draw and a $600,000 prize pool in 2024-25, split equally between the men's and women's draws.
Other World Events pay according to their tier (roughly $300,000 for Diamond down to $25,000 for Copper), with many events paying above their tier minimum. The season-ending Finals had a $300,000 pool in 2024-25. Challenger events range from $3,000 to $15,000, with Satellite and Federation events below that.
Across the whole 2024-25 season the PSA Squash Tour offered a record $12.5 million in player compensation, an increase of about 18 percent on the previous campaign, spread over more than 1,000 sanctioned tournaments. Top earnings were near-equal between the sexes, with men's world No. 1 Mostafa Asal earning about $400,700 and women's world No. 1 Nouran Gohar about $400,000. By comparison, amateur and junior tournaments generally do not offer prize money, focusing instead on ranking points or trophies.
Key Professional Events and Players. The marquee events include the PSA World Championships, the PSA Squash Tour Finals, and the premier Opens. The 2024-25 World Championships were held in Chicago in May 2025 and won by Mostafa Asal and Nour El Sherbini, El Sherbini's record-equalling eighth world title.
The British Open and CIB Egyptian Open, both Diamond events, are treated as majors. Other notable tournaments include the U.S. Open, Hong Kong Open, Qatar Classic, and continental championships such as the European Individual Championships.
Leading players include Ali Farag, Mostafa Asal, Paul Coll, and Mohamed El Shorbagy among the men, and Nour El Sherbini, Nouran Gohar, and Hania El Hammamy among the women. Many current stars are Egyptian, reflecting that country's depth: Egypt hosts several major events and produces a large share of the top players. The 2023-24 World Championship, staged in Cairo in May 2024, was won by Diego Elias, the first South American world champion, and Nouran Gohar.
Amateur and Junior Circuits
World Junior Circuit. World Squash (formerly the World Squash Federation, or WSF) runs the under-19 Junior Circuit as the premier junior tour, culminating each year in the World Junior Championships. Like the pro tour, junior tournaments are graded by tier:
| Tier | Events | Points for a win |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | World Junior Championships | 200 points |
| Tier 2 | Continental championships (Asian, European, Pan-American, and others) and top-level opens such as the British Junior Open and U.S. Junior Open | 125 points |
| Tier 3 | All other sanctioned junior opens | 75 points |
World Squash publishes junior world rankings (boys and girls U19) based on accumulated points. These events have no cash prizes, with champions earning trophies, scholarships, or travel support; their purpose is development and ranking.
Satellite and National Tournaments. Beyond PSA Challenger events, there is a global Satellite and Federation circuit. This includes national championships, open tournaments, and smaller international events, often organised by national federations.
These tournaments can award a few ranking points and sometimes small prize pools, and they serve as entry points for club players and juniors to gain experience and earn early PSA ranking points. National open tournaments in Europe, Asia, or the Americas may fall into this category.
Purely amateur leagues, such as club leagues, university matches, and veterans or masters series, are organised by local and regional bodies and do not feed into the PSA ranking system, though World Squash does organise World and Regional Masters (35-plus age-group) championships.
Regional Landscape
Squash is played worldwide, but its popularity and tour presence vary by region.
Egypt and the Middle East. Egypt is the leading nation, with the most top-ranked players and many major tournaments, including the CIB Egyptian Open. Squash is widely played in Egyptian schools and clubs, feeding a deep talent pool. Neighbouring countries such as Qatar and Kuwait often sponsor large events.
Europe. The UK, especially England, has a long squash tradition and still hosts flagship events such as the British Open and the British Nationals. England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands each run national circuits of Challenger and Satellite events. The European Squash Federation organises continental individual and team championships. Many up-and-coming European professionals develop in these regional tours before breaking into the PSA World Events.
Asia and Oceania. South and Southeast Asia have strong squash cultures. Malaysia, home of former champion Nicol David and current players such as Sivasangari Subramaniam, hosts international and junior tournaments. Pakistan produces talent and runs a historic national open. Hong Kong and Singapore stage tour events with PSA Challenger status. Australia and New Zealand have their own circuits, often at Challenger level, and send players to global tournaments; both countries are also active in collegiate squash and have produced players such as Paul Coll of New Zealand.
Americas. Squash is growing in North and South America. The USA and Canada hold national tours and opens, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Nationals, and Canadian Open, some of which carry PSA Challenger status, alongside college championships. New facilities, including on university campuses, have boosted the sport's visibility. In South America, Peru's Diego Elias and Colombia's Miguel Angel Rodriguez are leading professionals, and countries such as Brazil and Chile host regional events including the South American Championships and squash at the Pan American Games.
Comparing Professional vs. Amateur/Junior Formats
The professional and amateur or junior circuits differ in format, incentives, and structure.
Match Format. Pro tournaments use the full format, best-of-five games to 11 points with point-a-rally scoring (win by two at 10-10), with official referees and often glass-court venues for spectators and television. Junior events vary: older age groups (U15 and above) also play best-of-five, but many younger categories use best-of-three games to 11 to ease scheduling.
Eligibility. PSA events are open to any player with a pro licence, though entries below seeding usually require qualifying. Junior and amateur events are age- or ranking-restricted and often require national membership.
Rankings and Points. Pros earn PSA ranking points that set their world ranking and tournament entry. Juniors earn World Squash points on the junior circuit to build a global junior ranking. Adult amateurs generally have no official international ranking; they may have national rating systems, such as US Squash ratings, but these do not feed into the PSA world lists.
Prize Money vs. Recognition. Professional players compete for prize money, from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars per event, plus potential sponsorship earnings. Junior and amateur players typically play for trophies, scholarships, or title prestige, with little or no cash prize. A Tier-3 junior open, for example, may award only ranking points and medals. The financial stakes and the scale of global competition are far higher on the pro tour.
Career Path. The PSA Squash Tour is a full-time international circuit requiring worldwide travel and year-round competition. Amateurs and juniors often play regionally or seasonally, with students balancing squash against school and college. Top juniors aim to move onto the PSA tour by earning points in Challenger events and obtaining a professional licence.
As of 2024-25 the squash world features a professional PSA Squash Tour, newly restructured with clear tiers and a record prize fund, alongside extensive junior and amateur circuits run by World Squash and national federations. Together they form a global pipeline: young and recreational players compete locally and at World Squash events, junior standouts progress through the Satellite and Challenger ranks, and elite professionals contest high-paying World Events. This ecosystem spans every region, with particular strength in Egypt, Europe, Asia, and increasingly the Americas, and connects amateurs to the pro game through rankings and shared tournament ladders.
