Nouran Gohar

Nouran Gohar - Bio

Nouran Gohar is one of that core group of high quality Egyptians, and ‘the Terminator’ took over the World No.1 spot in July 2020, and has now been at the top of the rankings for more than a year in total.

She lifted her first Tour title at the Prague Open in December 2013 where she played to her seeding to see off Luie Fialova to triumph at just 16-years-of-age. Gohar earned another title the following year at the Irish Open before her superb victory over Omneya Abdel Kawy in the final of the Monte Carlo Classic elevated her into the world's top 20 for the first time.

A superb quarter-final finish at the Texas Open in April 2015 ensured that Gohar would breach the top 15 in the world. Three months later, Gohar announced her arrival as one of the world’s finest young talents as she won the World Junior Championship, dispatching compatriot Habiba Mohamed in the final.

She stunned Malaysian superstar Nicol David and then British Open champion Camille Serme in the China Open the following month and made it all the way to the final before losing out to Raneem El Welily. After reaching the same stage at the Macau Open, she moved into the world’s top 10 in October 2015.

2016 saw Gohar reach a first World Series final at the Tournament of Champions, before she became the second youngest British Open finalist of the modern era thanks to notable wins over El Welily and Serme. Despite losing out to El Sherbini, Gohar’s fine form extended into the World Championship a month later, where she reached the last four, again losing out to El Sherbini.

A splendid breakout season was rounded off with a debut appearance at the PSA Dubai World Series Finals, where the teenager bowed out in the group stage. However, she made amends in the first tournament of the 2016/17 campaign as she defeated American Amanda Sobhy to capture the Hong Kong Open crown in August 2016 - her first World Series title - eventually rising into the world’s top two five months later.

Gohar went on to feature in the China Squash Open final in 2016, where she missed out on the title to England’s Laura Massaro. The Egyptian also made the final of the Wadi Degla Open, losing out to Raneem El Welily over four games in the final. Gohar met El Welily once more, this time in the semi-final of the Windy City Open where she came up short. Gohar reached the semi-finals of the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championships, losing out to eventual winner Nour El Sherbini.

She started the 2017/18 season well, reaching the final of the China Open, where she lost to El Sherbini. Just two weeks later, the Egyptian won the Macau Open, beating Joelle King in the final. At the end of 2017, Gohar reached the last eight of the World Championships in Manchester, before making it into the semi finals of the PSA Masters in the first competition of 2018. The Egyptian won the Macau Open in April, overcoming Salma Hany in the final, to claim her first title in just under two years.

The 2018-2019 campaign was a better one for ‘The Terminator’, as she made her way back into the top five in the rankings. It started with a semi final appearance at the Hong Kong Open, which was then followed up by reaching the same stage of the CIB Black Ball Open in March.

Gohar then reached the final of the El Gouna International on home soil, but lost out to compatriot Raneem El Welily in the final. She went one better at the British Open, as she defeated Camille Serme to take her first crown at the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’.

She took a second major title of the year, winning the 2019 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships, defeating Nour El Tayeb in the final in Philadelphia, before then also claiming victory at the Bronze level Carol Weymuller Open, getting the better of El Tayeb once again.

Gohar went on to succeed the retiring Raneem El Welily as women's World No.1, securing the top spot in the rankings in July 2020, reaching the summit for the first time in her career. She reached the final of the CIB Egyptian Open, but was unable to stop Nour El Sherbini from claiming the title in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Gohar’s 2021 started with a runner-up finish at the El Gouna International, before she took her first title of 2021 at the CIB PSA World Tour Finals. That was then followed with another victory on home soil, as she got the better of the World No.1 to win the CIB Egyptian Open in front of the Pyramids.

‘The Terminator’ would go on to win two more titles in 2021, starting with her defence of the U.S. Open crown she had claimed two years previously. She defeated Hania El Hammamy in the final in Philadelphia, before then winning the Bronze level DAC Pro Squash Classic in the same month.

Gohar started 2022 in the same incredible form, making the finals of all eight events she played in. She started with a victory at the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup, before following that up with wins at the Windy City Open Presented by the Walter Family and the CIB Black Ball Open, before finishing runner-up at the Allam British Open.

‘The Terminator’ then took the title at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York City, before also making the finals of the CIB PSA World Championships, El Gouna International and the CIB PSA World Tour Finals to round out one of the strongest seasons ever seen on Tour.

Gohar started the 2022-2023 season in that same form, as she claimed the victory at the South Western Women’s Open, before becoming a three-time U.S. Open champion, as she successfully defended her crown in Philadelphia. She also made the final of the CIB Egyptian Open, and the semis of the Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open, the latter being her last event of 2022.

The Egyptian also added a third WSF Women's World Team Championship title to her resume, as the quartet of Nour El Sherbini, Nour El Tayeb, Hania El Hammamy and Gohar kept the trophy on home soil in Cairo.

Gohar continued her great form into 2023, with three victories. She won the Bahl and Gaynor Cincinnati Cup, Black Ball Squash Open and the El Gouna International, winning the latter for the first time in her career. ‘The Terminator’ also reached a full year atop the World Rankings. Although she lost the World No.1 spot for a few weeks in May, she then reclaimed the summit in June following her El Gouna victory.