Among the 128-strong field at the CIB Palm Hills PSA World Championships 2025/26 are 10 qualifiers who have prevailed in their continental qualifying events to reach the main draw of the tour’s flagship event.
In this article, we take a look at these respective players, giving you a closer look at both familiar and fresh faces ready to make their mark on the world stage.
Sam Osborne-Wylde
England’s Sam Osborne-Wylde will be competing in his first PSA World Championships after winning the European qualifying event in Pontefract.
The 22-year-old, currently sat just outside the top 50 in the men’s rankings, dropped just one game on his way to securing a golden ticket to Cairo, defeating Owain Taylow, Edwin Clain, Emyr Evans and Viktor Byrtus in the final.
Enjoying his most successful season to date, Osborne-Wylde has picked up title wins at the Japan Open and Guatemala Open so far this campaign. He will be up against Egyptian No.15 seed Mohamed Abouelghar in the first round.
Round One Opponent:
[14] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)Hannah Craig
Ireland’s Hannah Craig joined Osborne-Wylde in winning the European qualifying event after coming through three thrilling five-game battles in Pontefract.
The current World No.60 had to certainly work hard for her spot at the PSA World Championships, with the Irish No.1 prevailing against Breanne Flynn, Lowri Roberts and Karina Tyma in five games, and Karerina Tycova in four games.
Craig, who will be competing in her first PSA World Championships over the coming fortnight, is the four-time Irish National Champion and Irish No.1.
Round One Opponent:
[17] Sana Ibrahim (EGY)
Adam Hawal
17-year-old will once again feature in a major PSA Squash Tour event in Cairo after winning the Africa qualifying event from his No.5 seeding position – in the process booking his spot in a first PSA World Championships main draw.
Earlier this season at the Egyptian Open, then World No.252 Hawal stunned the squash world when toppling former World No.1 Paul Coll on his way to an incredible last-16 finish, and he will have the opportunity to once more deliver the goods in front of his home fans in Egypt.
Now at a ranking of World No.89, Hawal will face Pakistan’s next-gen prospect Noor Zaman in the first round, with a potential second-round meeting with two-time World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria potentially awaiting in the second round.
Round One Opponent:
[30] Noor Zaman
Ruqayya Salem
Fellow Egyptian teenager Ruqayya Salem joined Hawal in winning the Africa qualifying event and will arrive at her first PSA World Championship in standout form.
Since the start of March, the 17-year-old has won three straight events, picking up titles at the Odense Open and Northern Open from [9/16] seeding positions, and more widely, losing just one of her 18 matches since the turn of the calendar year.
Awaiting Salem at the PSA World Championships is none other than World No.1 Hania El Hammamy, a six-time major winner this season and the top seed at this year’s event. Salem will feature in the evening session of day one on the stunning all-glass court at Golf Central Mall.
Round One Opponent:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
Muhammad Asim Khan
Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan showed his mettle to prevail in the Asian qualifying event, coming through a trio of consecutive five-game thrillers at the Hong Kong Football Club.
After edging past Chi Him Wong and Ming Hong Tang, Asim Khan clinched his World Championships berth in epic style, defeating Joachim Chuah by an 11-3, 13-11, 9-11, 3-11, 12-10 scoreline after 82 minutes of play.
The World No.67 will once again be tested to the extreme in the first round of the main draw in Cairo, with No.5 seed and British National Champion Joel Makin awaiting him.
Round One Opponent:
[5] Joel Makin (WAL)
Toby Tse
21-year-old Toby Tse reached her first PSA World Championships main draw after winning the Asian qualifying event at the Hong Kong Football Club.
World No.62 Tse came through a highly competitive field from her No.2 seeding position, winning an all-Hong Kong final with Heylie Fung in five games to clinch her ticket to Cairo.
Tse has six PSA Tour titles in her career to date, including three consecutive successes at the Mozart Open, Toronto Classic and South Australian Open last May.
No.10 seed and former two-time PSA World Championship semi-finalist Amanda Sobhy awaits Tse in the first round of the flagship event.
Round One Opponent:
[10] Amanda Sobhy
Jeremias Azana
Argentina’s Jeremias Azana booked his spot in his first PSA World Championships main draw after winning the Pan American qualifying event from his No.4 seeding position.
The 25-year-old, the current World No.79, edged an extremely competitive tie with Nicholas Spizzirri in four games, clinching the pivotal fourth game 17-15 to win the event.
Earlier in the week, Azana had beaten Dillon Huang, Francesco Marcantonio and compatriot Leandro Romiglio to reach the title decider.
More widely, Azana has two PSA Tour titles to his name, with a runner-up finish at the Guatemala Open recently highlighting his strong form coming into the event. Azana will face Spaniard Bernat Jaume in the first round.
Round One Opponent:
[32] Bernat Jaume
Caroline Fouts
World No.86 Caroline Fouts won her second Pan American Qualifying event and secured her third appearance at the PSA World Championships after defeating Lucia Bautista in the qualifying final.
Fouts, who featured in both the 2023 and 2024 PSA World Championships, came through a trio of five-game battles to clinch her spot at the flagship event.
The 20-year-olds’ quarter-final match-up with Lucie Stefanoni went all the way down to the wire, with Fouts clinching the fifth 13-11, before replicating these deciding game heroics against Margot Prow and Bautista in the following two rounds.
So far this season, Fouts has reached the finals of the Tennis & Racquet Club Boston Open and CSA Individual Championship, while also winning the 12k Hyder Trophy in her last outing on tour.
Round One Opponent:
[23] Georgia Adderley (SCO)
Joseph White
Australian No.1 Joseph White secured a home win at the Oceania Qualifying event in Kooyong as he moved through to secure his second main draw appearance at the PSA World Championships.
The World No.79 and two-time Australian National Champion featured at the PSA World Championships in 2024, where he eventually lost out to Yahya Elnawasany in four games, and he will face another tough test in Cairo this year, with former World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy awaiting him.
White came through Oceania qualifying thanks to wins over Thomas Scott, Connor Hayes, David Turner and No.5 seed Lwamba Chileshe in the final.
Round One Opponent:
[10] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG)
Kaitlyn Watts
World No.70 Kaitlyn Watts will make her main draw debut at the PSA World Championships this May after winning her fourth event on the PSA Tour.
The 25-year-old New Zealander defeated Sarbani Maitra, Erin Classen, Madison Lyon and Ella Jane Lash to the loss of just three games at the Oceania qualifying event in Kooyong.
Despite falling a game down in the final against compatriot Lash in the final, Watts recovered to win in four games and secure a first-round meeting with No.13 seed Nada Abbas in Cairo.
So far this season, Watts has reached the quarter-finals of the Copper-level Monte Carlo Classic and the semi-finals of the WA Open. Egypt’s Nada Abbas awaits the Kiwi in the first round.
Round One Opponent:
[13] Nada Abbas (EGY)
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