2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals Opener: A Courtside View from Toronto

Update June 27, 2025: After a turbulent week marked by player withdrawals (Paul Coll) and on-court controversies (Diego Elias), Welshman Joel Makin and Egypt’s Nouran Gohar have been crowned champions at the 2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals. Makin, the fourth seed, secured a career-defining victory in the men’s final by upsetting top seed and reigning world champion Mostafa Asal of Egypt, who retired in the third game with the score at 11-10, 11-7, 1-0. In the women’s final, world number one Nouran Gohar battled back to overcome the USA’s Olivia Weaver in a tense four-game match, triumphing 11-10, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3 after Weaver was unable to capitalize on a commanding 8-3 lead in the pivotal third game.

As I sat courtside on day one of the 2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals, the electric atmosphere inside Toronto’s Revival Film Studios brought me back to the last major tournament I saw live: the 2023 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions. The setting couldn’t be more different. The low-key, industrial look of a film studio replaced the historic grandeur of Grand Central Terminal. But the thrill of watching the world’s best squash players was just as potent. The season’s grand finale has officially begun. Day One was a perfect reminder of why nothing beats seeing this sport live.

The Pinnacle of the Sport

Much like tennis’s ATP Finals, the PSA Squash Tour Finals is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious titles on the circuit for several key reasons.

• Ultimate Exclusivity: Unlike open-draw tournaments, this event is reserved for the top eight performers of the season. Qualification is earned through consistent, world-class results at the biggest events.
• The Season’s Climax: It is the definitive conclusion to the tour. Winning here means ending the season as the undisputed champion among champions.
• A Test of All Skills: The blend of best-of-three and best-of-five formats requires players to be both explosive from the start and have the endurance to last in grueling final matches.

The Contenders: Meet Squash’s Elite Eight

Earning a spot at the Tour Finals is a monumental achievement. These are the world-class athletes who have dominated the 2024-2025 season and are now competing for one of the sport’s most coveted titles. This incredible lineup guarantees a week of breathtaking rallies, tactical masterclasses, and the raw athleticism that defines modern professional squash.

(Note: The players who withdrew from the tournament due to injuries include Tarek Momen, Nour El Sherbini, Hania El Hammamy, and Amina Orfi.)

A quick look at the draw highlights a dominant trend in modern squash: the incredible depth of talent from Egypt. With a significant number of players in both the men’s and women’s fields, including top contenders like Mostafa Asal, Karim Abdel Gawad, the ElShorbagy brothers, and Nouran Gohar, the nation’s powerful influence on the sport is on full display this week in Toronto.

The Path to the Title: Format and Stakes

The PSA Squash Tour Finals uses a unique and demanding format that tests players from day one. The top eight men and women who battled their way up the “Road to the Finals” leaderboard are divided into two groups of four. With a substantial $600,000 prize pool (split equally between the men’s and women’s draws), the financial stakes are as high as the prestige of the title itself.

Here’s how the tournament will crown its champions this week.

• Group Stage (June 23-25): The tournament kicks off with a round-robin stage where matches are fast-paced best-of-three games. With eight matches played daily, players have little room for error as they fight to finish in the top two of their respective groups. An early loss doesn’t mean elimination, which creates an atmosphere of constant tension and allows for incredible comebacks.
• Knockout Stage (June 26-27): The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals on Thursday. The semi-finals will continue with the best-of-three format.
• The Finals: The two champions will be crowned on Friday, June 27, with the final matches set to begin at 19:00. The best-of-five title decider is expected to be a true test of stamina and nerve.

Opening Session Highlights: No Easy Battles

The beauty of the Tour Finals is that there are no “easy” opening rounds. Every single match is a battle, pitting the top eight players against each other from the very first point. The opening session of four matches I witnessed today was a perfect testament to that and showcased the incredible variety of skills required to compete at this level.

• The women’s matches opened with a captivating tactical battle between Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir. As newcomers to this elite event, neither player held back, delivering a performance that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. In a fiercely contested match that could’ve swung either way, Watanabe ultimately managed to squeeze past her rival in the decisive third game.
• Next up was the first men’s match, a grueling contest between Welshman Joel Makin and Egyptian Youssef Soliman. It quickly became a display of extended rallies, raw athleticism, and incredible defensive play. Makin, whose game evoked memories of Colombian Miguel Rodríguez’s prime, ultimately secured the win. The demands on their bodies were immense, highlighting the extraordinary fitness levels required to sustain the long, brutal rallies that were the hallmark of this match.
• The intensity continued to build with the second women’s clash, pitting American Olivia Weaver against up-and-coming Malaysian star Sivasangari Subramaniam. Weaver brought an attacking game, but Subramaniam’s precise lobs and defensive prowess kept the match incredibly close, ultimately seeing her fall in an 11-9, 11-9 decision.
• To close out the session, the spotlight turned to World No. 1 Mostafa Asal, the Egyptian superstar, facing off against the Egyptian-English player Marwan Elshorbagy. The opening point alone set the tone, feeling like a monumental 100-shot rally. Yet, despite that initial marathon, Asal proceeded to dominate the rest of the match, unequivocally proving his top ranking. His game, characterized by unbelievable quickness, an unyielding spirit, and a masterful combination of raw power and deceptive finesse, cemented his status as the clear favorite for the tournament title.

These four matches, each with its own unique narrative, set a blistering pace for the tournament and made one thing clear: winning this title will require nothing less than perfection.

Witness History and the Future of Squash

For squash enthusiasts who live in Toronto, this is an unmissable event. But even for newcomers, this is a rare opportunity to watch the best in the sport battle it out for a place in the record books. As usual, you can catch every thrilling moment online via SQUASHTV, the official PSA World Tour streaming service.

As you watch these incredible athletes compete, remember that you are getting a preview of history. With squash making its long-awaited debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the players on the court in Toronto are likely the very top contenders to become the first-ever Olympic gold medalists in the sport.

This isn’t just a tournament; it’s a glimpse into the future!

Final Thoughts

For a high-profile tournament, the 2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals felt somewhat subdued. While the Revival Film Studios offered a unique backdrop, its location away from the downtown core posed accessibility challenges for public transport users. This, combined with what appeared to be limited public promotion, likely contributed to the event not selling out. Although the PSA operates on a different scale than the ATP or WTA, these Finals represent a prime opportunity to showcase the dynamism and excitement of squash to a broader audience, an opportunity that seemed partially missed.

Ex-Techie | Racquet Sports & Travel Blogger | Real-World Experiences