Orfi Becomes Youngest Women's World No.1 in Squash History

The victory ensures she will claim the top ranking in Monday’s updated PSA standings.

A 107-minute shift of power

The match, already the joint-eighth longest in PSA women’s Tour history, pivoted on an ankle injury El Hammamy suffered in the third game. Orfi seized the momentum, moving from a game down to a 2-1 lead, before the defending World No.1 drew on the resolve that had anchored her 11-month reign to force a decider.

Orfi held her nerve on the third, closing a 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10 victory that ended one era and opened another.

Devoy’s record falls at 42 years

At 19 years and two months, Orfi broke a mark New Zealand’s Susan Devoy set in 1984 by exactly one year. The achievement crowns a remarkable season in which Orfi had already become the youngest women’s world champion, reinforcing Egypt’s dominance of the sport.

“It’s amazing. To be able to become World Champion and World No.1 in the same year, it’s amazing,” Orfi told reporters afterwards.

The Doha title, Orfi’s first Platinum-level crown, arrives with squash two years from its Olympic debut in Los Angeles. The teenager, already the sport’s leading figure, is the expected favourite for gold.