Nouran Gohar brought a ferocity to women’s squash that no opponent enjoyed facing — and she used it to become world No. 1 and a multiple world champion. But her path hasn’t been a straight line: injuries and a younger Egyptian wave knocked her down, and her 2026 season is about fighting back.
This post covers Gohar’s complete career: her aggressive playing style, the No. 1 period, the World Championship titles, and where the comeback stands.
A court for playing squash. Photo taken in The Hague and with permission from th – CC CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Quick facts: Nouran Gohar
Detail
Info
Full name
Nouran Gohar
Born
1997 — Cairo, Egypt
Age (2026)
29
Plays
Right-handed
Turned pro
2011
Highest ranking
No. 1 (2021 and stretches of 2022–2023)
World Championship
2022 champion
Career PSA titles
20+
Known for
Aggression, pace, relentless pressure
Early life in Cairo
Like most of squash’s elite, Gohar emerged from the Egyptian junior system in Cairo — the sport’s dominant pipeline for over a decade. She was known as a junior for her fighting spirit: smaller than many opponents, she made up for it with aggression and shot-volume.
She turned pro at 14 and was a top-10 player by her late teens.
The rise to No. 1
2018–2021: The climb
Established in the top 5 behind Nour El Sherbini
Multiple PSA finals; reputed the only player who could match El Sherbini’s intensity
2021: Became world No. 1 — the first time in her career, ending El Sherbini’s long stretch atop the rankings
2022–2023: World champion era
2022: Won the PSA World Championship (d. Nour El Sherbini in the final)
2023: Retained a No. 1-status ranking for stretches; multiple championship match runs
The Gohar-El Sherbini rivalry of 2021–2023 was arguably the greatest women’s squash rivalry of the modern era — two decorated Egyptians trading the No. 1 ranking in hard-fought five-game finals.
Playing style: aggression personified
Skill profile
Skill
Rating
Notes
Tempo
10/10
Plays the fastest pace in women’s squash
Drive
9/10
Heavy, flat, deep; pushes opponents deep
Volley
9/10
Attacks the ball early; rarely lets rallies settle
Drop
8/10
Snappy; follows high-pressure drives
Stamina
8/10
Excellent, but prefers fast points
Injury resilience
7/10
The weakness that ended her No. 1 reign
Her game is “attack the front”: hit hard, hit early, and put opponents on the back foot from the first drive. Elite rivals like El Sherbini and El Hammamy found her pace exhausting; lesser players broke under it.
People playing squash – CC CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
The 2024–2025 dip and 2026 comeback
What knocked her down
2024: Injuries (wrist/leg issues) forced withdrawals and a ranking slide out of the top 5
2025: A limited season; dropped out of the top seeds entirely
The comeback
2026 (as of September): Gohar has returned to deep runs — quarterfinals and semifinals — and is rebuilding toward the top 5 during a season dominated by El Hammamy’s No. 1 reign
Rebuilding her engine: the pace-based game needs fitness, and the injury layoff cost her that edge
Her comeback is the feel-good storyline of the 2026 women’s tour — a former champion re-proving herself against a younger wave she helped create.
Gohar vs. the new Egyptian wave
Gohar’s 2026 rivalries are with the generation she inspired:
– vs. Hania El Hammamy (No. 1): the pace battle — El Hammamy’s coaching-built discipline against Gohar’s raw fearlessness
– vs. Amina Orfi (the teenager): a sign of the sport’s future — Gohar now plays the role of the older lion
Few players have stamped an era AND bridged to the next like Gohar.
Title record (highlights)
Year
Event
Result
2016
First PSA titles
Multiple wins
2021
World No. 1
Reached
2022
PSA World Championship
Champion
2023
Multiple finals
Champion / finalist
2026
Comeback season
Semifinals + rebuilding
20+ career PSA titles.
What’s next for Nouran Gohar
At 29, with a healthy body and an improving ranking:
– Return to the top 5 by the 2026 World Championship
– A second World Championship — the definitive comeback statement
– The 2028 Olympics (squash debut) as a realistic medal hopeful
Nouran Gohar is an Egyptian professional squash player, born 1997 in Cairo. She reached world No. 1 in women’s squash (2021–2023) and has won multiple world titles, before injuries dropped her into comeback mode by 2026.
How many times was Gohar world No. 1?
Nouran Gohar was the world No. 1 women’s squash player in 2021 and held the ranking through parts of 2022–2023. She has been ranked No. 1 multiple times across her career.
Has Gohar won the World Championship?
Yes — Nouran Gohar won the PSA World Championship in 2022 (beating Nour El Sherbini in the final), giving her multiple world titles in total.
Why was Gohar out of squash?
Gohar dealt with injuries and a mid-career dip through 2024–2025, dropping from No. 1. Her 2026 season is a comeback, rebuilding ranking and form against the younger Egyptian wave led by El Hammamy.
Racquet sports player and writer covering pickleball, padel, tennis, badminton, and squash. Former collegiate tennis player turned recreational pickleball enthusiast. Jackson writes beginner-friendly guides to help new players get on court faster.
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