One interesting takeaway from this year’s World Juniors is just how many of the top women are headed to U.S. college squash.

World Junior Champion Anahat Singh (center) is committed to Harvard, runner-up Ruqayya Salem (left) is headed to University of Virginia, and semifinalist Barb Sameh (right) will play at the University of Pennsylvania.

It’s a noticeable shift from the traditional path for many of the world’s best juniors, who have often focused primarily on the professional tour after juniors. More and more, top players are choosing to combine college squash with their professional careers.

Singh has postponed her start at Harvard for now as she focuses on the upcoming Asian Games, but still plans to eventually join the Crimson.

With college squash continuing to attract some of the best young players in the world, it will be interesting to see how much of a role the U.S. college game plays in developing the next generation of top professionals, especially with squash’s Olympic debut coming at LA28.

The 2027 World Squash Junior Championships are heading to Chengdu, China, marking the first time mainland China will host squash’s flagship junior event.

The championships will take place in July at the new Linjiangzhiyuan Training Base, a 73-acre national training center featuring 22 World Squash-certified courts, including 16 all-glass courts.

The announcement comes amid significant growth for squash in China, with junior participation reportedly up more than 50% year-over-year and hundreds of new courts being built across the country. With squash’s Olympic debut at LA28 approaching, hosting the World Juniors in China represents another exciting step in the sport’s continued global expansion.

Some of the best players from across the Americas have descended on Asunción, Paraguay this week for the 2026 Pan American Senior Squash Championships.

The tournament runs August 15-22 and features players from more than 20 countries across North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The field includes some of the biggest names in the region, including former World No. 1 Diego Elías of Peru, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of Colombia, Leonel Cárdenas of Mexico and Team USA’s Timmy Brownell and Nick Spizzirri. On the women’s side, Amanda Sobhy leads a U.S. team that also includes Marina Stefanoni, Caroline Fouts, and Alex Jaffe, while Canada is represented by Hollie Naughton and Zeina Zein.

There is plenty more than regional bragging rights on the line. This year’s championships serve as a qualifying event for the 2027 Pan American Games, which will themselves play a role in the qualification pathway toward squash’s Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The event also comes at an exciting time for squash throughout the Americas. From established squash countries like the U.S., Canada, Colombia and Peru to growing programs throughout the Caribbean, Central America and South America, the Pan American Championships offer a unique look at just how broad the sport’s footprint has become.

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