2026 China Open Squash to bring world's top players to Shanghai

By He Qi | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-10-27 14:53

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The 2026 China Open Squash, a Gold-level event on the PSA Squash Tour, will take place in Shanghai from Nov 17 to 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2026 China Open Squash, a Gold-level event on the PSA Squash Tour, will take place in Shanghai from Nov 17 to 22, organizers announced on Friday, with tickets going on sale at 6 pm the same day.

With a total prize purse of $279,000, the tournament has attracted 48 professional players from 14 countries and regions. Matches will be held at two host venues in Shanghai's Changning district, with day sessions of the first and second rounds to be played at the Diamond Squash Center, before the tournament moves to the Shanghai Xian Xia Tennis Center for the second-round night session on Nov 18 through to the final on Nov 22.

Mostafa Asal of Egypt, world No 1 and top seed, headlines the men's draw, alongside defending champion Mohamed Abouelghar. In the women's event. Top seed and title holder Amina Orfi will face stiff competition from second seed Hania El Hammamy, the current world No 2 Eain Yow Ng, and Sivasangari Subramaniam, both from Malaysia and singles gold medalists at the Nagoya Asian Games. Four Chinese wild card players — Li Haizhen, Zhou Penglin, Liu Ziyi, and Zhang Yuning — will step onto the all-glass court to compete against the world's elite.

Organizers have set affordable prices to broaden squash's appeal, with quarterfinal tickets at Xian Xia starting at 180 yuan ($27). A limited Weekend VIP Package is available for 3,880 yuan, including VIP seats for the semifinals and final, plus a champions meet-and-greet. Tickets are available via the Juss Sports app, Damai, and Ticketplanet.

Running concurrently with the tournament from Nov 20 to 22, the 2026 World Squash Coaching Conference will gather coaches and experts worldwide to discuss youth talent development pathways and elite training systems. With squash set to make its Olympic return at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, organizers said the conference aims to help China strengthen its coaching system and youth talent pipeline for the new Olympic cycle.

Chen Tianyi contributed to this story.