Pro squash player shares her love of the sport ahead of U.S. championships in West Philly

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A lot of squash will be played in the coming days at the U.S. Open squash championships in West Philly from Oct. 19 to Oct. 26. WHYY’s “Morning Edition” host Jennifer Lynn caught up with pro player Amanda Sobhy, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the U.S.

Ahead of her appearance at the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center, Sobhy recalled her roots and spoke about the nature of the game she loves so much.

AS: I grew up in a tiny town in Long Island called Sea Cliff, and there was no one who played squash there. We didn’t belong to any country club. The only access we had was because my dad was the teaching pro at the neighboring country club a couple towns over from us.

Both my parents played squash. My father is Egyptian. Egypt is like the top country for squash at the moment. Tennis was my first sport, soccer, you know, softball growing up, and then it wasn’t until I was 11 years old that I got into squash, just because I got roped to coming along to my brother’s tournaments, and I would just hit on court by myself, and I actually really liked it.

JL: Well, yeah, squash is a game of mental focus, physical endurance. I know the points can last a really long time ‘til someone makes a mistake. Does this ring true with you?

AS: Oh, absolutely. I think squash is one of those sports where it has every aspect of the physicality you need, the speed you need, the explosive power, the endurance, the change of direction, and then the mental aspect of the game, of understanding where to place the ball and also how to make decisions under a lot of pressure. I like the aspect of the sport in that there’s so much physicality and the cerebral and intellect aspect into the game.

JL: Now what does it take to become one of the highest ranking women U.S. players ever? You must practice a ton. You’ve practiced for years. How old are you now?

AS: I am 31, so I am one of the seasoned veterans on tour now. I’ve started playing professional tournaments as an amateur since the age of 16. By the age of 17, I knew I wanted to play full-time professionally after college, but it has taken, you know, a lot of hours of practice, a lot of sacrifices. You know, I gave up a lot of, like, social events, and it’s a choice for me, because I want to be the best. I don’t regret any of it.

JL: Philadelphia is an epicenter of squash. I think that’s a little-known fact, actually, to folks who aren’t in the squash universe. And you know, the U.S. team will train for the Olympics, which is coming to L.A. in 2028, they’ll be training at the Arlen Specter Squash Center in West Philly. What has this center meant for continued development of squash in the U.S.?

AS: It’s fantastic, the fact that we have a hub and a national center for our sport, I think, to be able to have a facility with everything under one roof where you can build from the pipeline up from the junior development all the way to the pros. That’s crucial for the sport. People want to be more invested in the sport. When they see a facility like the Specter Center, it’s fantastic. It’s amazing, and it legitimizes the sport a lot more, especially in the U.S., and shows that, “Hey, we’re serious about producing the best players in the world.”

JL: So some countries have government funding of squash, like Egypt, Australia. Internationally, the sport is sometimes played publicly, so anyone can try it. Now, in the U.S., you have to belong to a club that has squash, there’s no government support, per se. How is that detrimental to the development of the sport in the U.S.?

AS: I think it’s because it’s limited the accessibility of the sport, which is a shame, because, you know, squash is such an amazing sport. It’s really good for your health and well-being. It’s a community, lifelong sport. You pretty much play it in private clubs, private schools, private colleges. It’s hard to have it be accessible to everybody. But you know, the good thing is that U.S. squash, and people in the U.S., they recognize that, and they’re trying to make squash a lot more accessible. Even with the national center, it’s a public facility so people can pay to play, and that’s a fantastic model to get more people involved.

JL: There are some urban squash leagues centered here in Philly. SquashSmarts helps some of the city kids gain access to courts and training. Have you helped out with these programs?

AS: Yes, I did a little bit of work with SquashSmarts. I always love helping out with urban squash programs, just because it’s an awesome way to give back to the squash community, and the fact that, you know, they’re getting these kids involved in squash, and I think it’s fantastic.

JL: What’s the acceptance level of women in squash? There are more men playing internationally, right?

AS: There are more men playing internationally, yes, that’s correct. The funny part is that last year, us women, we were all ranked inside the top 15 in the world. So it was fantastic to see that growth.

JL: Do you think squash is a declining sport, even though now it’s going to be on the radar at the Olympic level?

AS: I think in some countries, it’s unfortunately declining. So previous powerhouses like Australia and England, you kind of see those countries declining, but I think us is on the rise, and having us be included in the L.A. 2028 Olympics is only going to help squash his presence in the U.S. and help the growth in the U.S.

JL: I know it was very hard to play during COVID, for instance, and put a dent into the sport. What keeps this game fun for you? Is there any fun?

AS: You’d be surprised. I have ruptured both my Achilles from the sport competing over the years, and yet I am having probably the most fun currently learning and training and playing the sport that I have in my entire career. I play the game and sort of rebuild and start from scratch. So it’s kind of fun to be a beginner again in learning.

JL: Good luck this weekend.

AS: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.