Analysing The Contenders
The London Squash Classic 2026 gets underway in just a few days’ time, with 48 players arriving at the world-renowned Alexandra Palace in search of the first Gold-level titles of the season.
We’ve taken a deeper dive into some of the major contenders in London next week and looked at their potential routes to the title.
The London Squash Classic will be staged between 1-6 September, with all matches available to watch live on SQUASHTV. For more information on the PSA Squash Tour, follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
Hania El Hammamy
Hania El Hammamy arrives at the London Classic as World No.1 and tournament top seed, but Amina Orfi and Nour ElSherbini will be hunting her down at the top of the women’s rankings.
El Hammamy’s spot at the top of the World Rankings will come under considerable pressure over the coming months, with the Egyptian having to defend a host of ranking points from title wins at the Egyptian Open, Qatar Classic and U.S. Open at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
If the Egyptian were to clinch victory in London, especially with victory over rival Orfi, it would be a statement of intent ahead of what could be one of the most exciting seasons ever on the women’s tour.
Potentially awaiting El Hammamy at the London Classic could be a quarter-final against No.7 seed Amanda Sobhy, a semi-final with No.4 seed Satomi Watanabe, before a blockbuster title decider with current World Champion Orfi.
Paul Coll
World No.2 Paul Coll is a two-time champion at the London Classic and has never lost a match at the Gold-level event.
The Kiwi, champion in 2024 and 2025, has thrived inside the world-renowned Alexandra Palace in previous editions, and it would be hard not to see him claiming a three-peat this time around.
More widely in England, Coll has lifted 11 PSA Tour titles from 12 finals competed in, with his one loss coming in the final of the 2025 Optasia Championships against Mostafa Asal.
Arriving as the tournament’s top seed, Coll will kickstart his campaign against either Moustafa Elsirty or Mohamed ElShorbagy whilst also sitting in the same quarter of the draw as No.5 seed Aly Abou Eleinen.
Amina Orfi
Defending champion Amina Orfi will have her eyes firmly set on becoming the youngest-ever women’s World No.1 this season, and a win at the London Classic could certainly set her on her way to achieving this historic feat.
As the current World Champion and British Open champion, Orfi showed at the backend of last season that she is ready to compete at the very top of the sport and start picking up the biggest prizes the tour has to offer.
An interesting sticking point for Orfi this week could come in the form of No.3 seed Sivasangari Subramaniam, who is her projected semi-final opponent if the event went to seeding. Sivasangari beat Orfi twice in the closing stages of last season, and the 19-year-old will certainly be up for revenge after she was beaten in the semi-finals of the PSA Squash Tour Finals.
From there, a potential blockbuster meeting with World No.1 Hania El Hammamy could await in the final.
Victor Crouin
World No.6 Victor Crouin will be making his London Classic debut as No.2 seed next week and arrives full of confidence after picking up his fourth European Individual Championship in Budapest.
The French No.1 enjoyed the best season of his career last year, picking up his first Gold-level title at the Texas Open and regularly featuring at the business end of major events across the tour.
Crouin has been named in the same quarter of the draw as No.8 seed Leonel Cardenas and the same half of the draw as No.3 seed Marwan ElShorbagy.
A title win in London this week could help push Crouin towards the top four in the PSA World Rankings, with current World No.5 Youssef Ibrahim still recovering from shoulder surgery and World No.4 Karim Gawad reachable with a strong set of results over the first half of the season.
Sivasangari Subramaniam
World No.5 Sivasangari Subramaniam has made her aims clear for the coming 12 months on tour.
The Malaysian No.1 finished the 2025/26 campaign playing the best squash of her career, and is now targeting taking another step into the established elite, admitting she was now looking to break into the top three in the PSA Rankings.
The London Classic will hold fond memories for Sivasangari, after she lifted the title back in 2024 with a trio of wins over Nour ElSherbini, Nele Gilis and Hania El Hammamy, and more recently, making the semi-finals 12 months ago.
Sivasangari has been named in the same quarter of the draw as last year’s runner-up Nele Gilis and the same half as current World Champion Amina Orfi, whom she has beaten in their last two meetings on tour.
Marwan ElShorbagy
England No.1 Marwan ElShorbagy has recorded two quarter-final finishes at the London Classic from his two appearances, and arriving as No.3 seed this year, he will be hoping to go much deeper into the Gold-level event this time round.
ElShorbagy has been named in the same half of the draw as No.2 seed Victor Crouin, a player he has beaten in three of their last four meetings on tour.
Before that, though, the Englishman will open his account against either Sam Todd or Declan James, before a potential quarter-final with No.7 seed Mohamed Abouelghar.
Arriving on the back of the British Nationals, ElShorbagy should be match-ready and primed for a strong run in the heart of the English capital.
Satomi Watanabe
Japanese No.1 Satomi Watanabe burst onto the world stage when winning the Optasia Championships in London in 2024, and since then has been consistently climbing the rankings to a career-high position of World No.6.
With her aggressive and clean ball striking down both wings, Watanabe has the weapons to beat anybody in the world on her day, highlighted by her win over El Hammamy at the China Open and Orfi at the Hong Kong Open last year.
The 27-year-old is the No.4 seed at the London Classic and will open up her account against either Farida Mohamed or Zeina Mickawy. From there, British No.1 Georgina Kennedy could await in the quarter-finals before a potential semi-final showdown with World No.1 El Hammamy.
Watanabe will hope for a strong week in London as she looks ahead to the Asian Games in October, which will see the first two Olympic spots filled for the sport’s debut at the LA28 Games.
Jonah Bryant
English rising star Jonah Bryant will be sure to draw in the home crowds at Alexandra Palace next week, with the 21-year-old starting the Gold-level event as No.4 seed.
Bryant has soared through the world’s top 50 over the last two years, notably reaching major semi-finals in Qatar and Hong Kong last year. However, the Englishman will enter the London Classic with injury concerns after withdrawing from the British Nationals last week.
The seven-time PSA Tour winner will kickstart his campaign against either Patrick Rooney or Eain Yow Ng, whilst also sitting in the same quarter of the draw as No.6 seed Youssef Soliman.
