Her spot although has been saved on maintain for a 12 months as a result of her eyes are set on the Olympic Video games in 2028. Anahat is like some other teenager, however isn’t actually like some other teenager.
This week, she took yet one more gigantic leap in her skilled journey.
Learn extra: Anahat Singh college: India’s squash sensation who surprised 8-time world champion Nour ElSherbini is a pupil of a British college
On the Silicon Valley Open in Redwood Metropolis California, Anahat shocked eight-time World Champion and childhood idol Nour El Sherbini in a Spherical of 16 match. Sherbini, usually described as the best of all time, has admittedly been in patchy kind this 12 months. But, for Anahat, the second felt “unreal” as rising up she had watched “each single match” of the Egyptian legend.
A day later Anahat claimed one other big scalp, successful a fivegame bruiser towards one other increased ranked Egyptian Salma Hany to qualify for a semifinal of PSA Gold class occasion for the primary time.
The dream run although was interrupted within the final 4, with a well-known foe, Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam, outclassing her in 4 video games. Subramaniam, ranked 4 on this planet, had additionally shattered Anahat’s desires of direct qualification for LA 2028 Olympics by beating her within the ultimate of the 2026 Asian Video games, however the 27-year-old is in little doubt that the Indian is without doubt one of the rising stars of squash.
Learn extra: Anahat Singh college: India’s squash sensation who surprised 8-time world champion Nour ElSherbini is a pupil of a British college
“Anahat could be very proficient and so harmful,” the a number of occasions winner on the circuit instructed the PSA web site.
“She’s undoubtedly amongst the highest women now, and she or he’s nonetheless so younger.” Since successful two bronze medals as a 15-year-old on the 2023 Asian Video games, Anahat has grown accustomed to the highlight. However 2026 has been a breakthrough 12 months.
The Asian Video games heroics got here on the again of a string of eyecatching performances — defending her Indian Open title in Mumbai, clinching the Squash on Hearth Open title in Washington to interrupt into the world’s high 20 because the youngest Asian to realize the feat, and most impressively, successful the World Junior Championships to finish Egypt’s 16-year dominance over that crown.
The squash world has taken discover, not simply of the milestones but in addition of her dazzling enjoying model. Anahat is instinctively attacking in her strategies, utilizing a singular mixture of contact, timing and deception to create openings.
Having been drawn to badminton as a six-year-old when watching P V Sindhu has helped her construct abilities to disguise path and depart opponents guessing till the final second. Her backhand is a ferocious weapon, whereas the range in her shot-making, together with the accuracy of size and the audacity in her strategy make her a compelling participant to observe.
“If she continues pay attention, take up, put the work in, keep targeted, there’s no cause why, on the very least, she shouldn’t be going to be a mainstay within the high 10 for a substantial time frame,” predicted Saurav Ghosal earlier this 12 months.
Ghosal, who himself cracked the highest 10 and mentors Anahat, believes, “She might go increased as nicely. However the high 10 is sort of a naked minimal.”
As her profession graph rises, Anahat recognises the burden of expectations however is much from overwhelmed. She is conscious that the way forward for Indian squash, within the close to to medium time period, is now inevitably intertwined along with her personal success.
Supported by a doting household and a professionally structured teaching set-up behind her, {the teenager} can now construct steadily in direction of enhancing her rating, contending for titles and chasing the final word dream — an Olympic medal when squash makes its debut on the 2028 Video games. There was sufficient proof this week that the journey is on observe.
