All posts tagged: Grégory Gaultier

From ‘curse’ to crown: How Delhi teen Anahat Singh scripted Indian squash history | Sports News

From ‘curse’ to crown: How Delhi teen Anahat Singh scripted Indian squash history | Sports News

Published by Webster

5 min readMumbaiJul 27, 2026 06:55 AM IST It was Anahat Singh’s fifth and, importantly, final chance to get it right at the World Juniors Championships in Canada. She had four quarterfinals, one bronze, plenty of deja vu, and even a French coach to match. Gregory Gaultier had been in her tactical corner as coach, the squash legend most famous for losing four Senior World Championship finals before winning the fifth, to teach her precisely how to handle this last week. The 18-year-old from Delhi, whose father is a lawyer and mother an interior designer, had called the World Juniors a “curse” because she kept missing the title. When she broke the curse, she became India’s first-ever world title holder among women. On Saturday in Ontario, finally, the teen prodigy made up for all misses and ended Egypt’s run of 13 straight titles, after beating three from the squash powerhouse in the quarters, semis and finals. The attacking player with Indian flair and Gregorian gumption defeated Ruqaiyya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 to ensure a non-Egyptian …

Anahat Singh becomes 1st Indian Squash World Jr Champion on her 5th attempt

Anahat Singh becomes 1st Indian Squash World Jr Champion on her 5th attempt

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 26, 2026 12:09 AM IST Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh created history on Saturday, as she became the first Indian to win a squash world title at any level after winning the World Junior Championships in Ontario, Canada. The 19-year-old Indian defeated second seed Ruqayya Salem of Egypt in straight games 11-3, 11-7, 11-9. Prior to this achievement, she had already become the second Indian woman after Joshna Chinappa to enter the final of the world junior title. Now, she has conquered a frontier that even Chinappa could not. The teenage prodigy from Delhi had a dominant start to the final, winning the first game 11-3, leaving her opponent Salem with little to no chance. In the second game, Anahat won 11-7 and had one hand on the title. However, the Egyptian gave a scare in the third game, with Anahat trailing 6-8 at one point. But the Indian fended off the pressure and took the important points to win the game 11-9 and claim the junior title at the fifth time …

Gregory Gaultier, Anahat Singh’s coach, on what it took to win Worlds gold after four stinging final defeats

Gregory Gaultier, Anahat Singh’s coach, on what it took to win Worlds gold after four stinging final defeats

Published by Webster

Gregory Gaultier won four silver medals at the squash World Open (Championships) over 10 years, before he struck his first gold. In an illustrious career spanning 22 long years, starting out as a French prodigy, he ended with nine Worlds medals, including four bronze. Now, tasked with guiding young Indian talent Anahat Singh, the deep-thinking Frenchman brings a unique understanding of losing from winning positions and, learning from those defeats and never letting go of the ambition, before the gold is finally nailed. The 43-year-old would reckon ‘choke’ is a very English word, and in a very Albert Camus-fashion embraces the absurdity of keeping on losing, while keeping on wanting to win, in a way that only sport could quantify. “Today, if I flashback that first hard loss of a Worlds final in 2006, I’ll ask myself, ‘Gregory, if you had won that final, would life have turned out the same? Would I have done it all’?” he wonders, in an interaction before heading to India for the JSW Open in Mumbai, where Anahat will …

Attacking instinct, Analytical mind – Anahat Singh’s coach explains what sets her apart

Attacking instinct, Analytical mind – Anahat Singh’s coach explains what sets her apart

Published by Webster

The youngest Asian to break into top-20 world rankings in squash, Anahat Singh is one of the most improved Indian athletes in recent times. At just 17, she is making the transition from juniors to senior level look rather seamless. She clinched her first PSA Copper title last year before winning her first PSA Bronze level title at the Squash on Fire open last month. It was here that she took down world No 10 Georgina Kennedy in straight games in the final and broke into the top-20 of world rankings – only the third Indian woman to achieve the feat after Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal. Working behind the scenes, playing a vital role in Anahat’s rapid rise is Frenchman Gregory Gaultier. A former world champion and nine-time world championships medallist, Gaultier is widely regarded as one of the best minds in the world of squash. “I first met her during a camp in India, when she was just 13 or 14,” recalled Gaultier in a conversation with The Bridge. “Her level was surprising …

What makes Anahat Singh the most promising squash player in the country? | Sport-others News

What makes Anahat Singh the most promising squash player in the country? | Sport-others News

Published by Webster

After the third game of the prestigious British Junior Open U17 final, India’s Anahat Singh – the top seed – was in trouble. She had dropped two games and trailed against Egyptian prodigy Malika Elkaraksy. As she came out of the court in Birmingham before the fourth game started, her mentor and Indian squash legend Saurav Ghosal was upset, not because she was losing the final but because he was certain Anahat wasn’t playing to the level she was capable of. “Initially, just nothing was working out,” Anahat told The Indian Express. “When I came out of the court after the third game when I was 1-2 down, he was quite angry with me. That was one reason I started playing better. It motivated me because I didn’t want him to get more upset (smiles). He knew I wasn’t playing my best and was telling me to focus on my basics. Even if I played at 50% of my capability, I’d make sure I’d win. It was just one last push. I’m glad I got …