The husband and wife who won their first major squash titles on the same day

Neither Ali Farag nor Nour El Tayeb had won a top-tier World Series event until they became US Open champions in the same venue on the same afternoon
By James Willstrop for Willstrop’s World

US Open squash champions Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb are the first husband and wife to win the same major singles title on the same day. Photograph: Steve Line/SquashPicsPSA

When Nour El Tayeb and Ali Farag won the US Open squash titles in Philadelphia earlier this month, the squash world knew they had broken some kind of record. This pair aren’t just from the same country; they are from the same house. The two Egyptian players, who married last summer, have been on the rise over the last few years but neither is in the habit of picking up major titles. In fact, neither had won a top-tier World Series event until they spurred each other to victory on the same day. They are now the only husband and wife in sporting history to have won a major singles title on the same day.
The squash world has embraced and enjoyed their unique achievement, even if some players probably think it’s a bit greedy of them to grab everything at once. This sort of family success is much rarer than siblings winning in tandem. The Brownlee brothers and Williams sisters can take advantage of the same propitious genes and nurturing environments. The El Shorbagy brothers and Grinham sisters have made it right to the top in squash in recent years – and their achievements are exceptional – but there is something truly special about two people meeting each other slightly randomly, falling in love and then winning massive sporting events for the first time on the same afternoon.

It’s enough to make people talk sentimentally about “fate” and success being “written in the stars” but this twin triumph is the result of dogged determination and the disciplined lifestyles they lead with each other. They are both engaging, passionate, positive and enviably intelligent people – off the court and on it – and they could bring the sport wider appeal in the next years. They are appreciated by fellow players and audiences alike. Farag was given the Spirit of Squash award for the second time this year. Chosen by his fellow players, the prize goes to the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship on and off court throughout the season.
They both studied for degrees while maintaining their professional aspirations, which is a mission to say the least. Playing squash at the highest level is grievously demanding but doing so at a formative stage of your career while studying is seriously impressive. Farag studied mechanical engineering at Harvard University, so presumably his professors wouldn’t have been too keen on him bunking off lectures to catch up on missed training. Having studied at one of America’s great universities, it is fitting his greatest sporting triumph to date came in the US Open.
El Tayeb is such a watchable player. She manages to balance a highly skilful, busy and graceful game with a kinetic and fiery spirit. Her acrobatic retrievals, shots and court length dives have a habit of sending SquashTV into overdrive. She also showed fighting spirit after a shoulder injury in 2015 severely halted her progress.

US Open squash champions Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb. Photograph: Steve Line/SquashPics/PSA

The two finals followed each other fairly briskly on the day, so Farag had to balance his own preparation with supporting his wife. He couldn’t miss her final completely, but he also had to maintain his concentration for the biggest match of his career. Nour was relieved to be playing the first match of the day. “Thank God I’m on first so I don’t have to feel the pressure of him playing before my match,” she said before the match.
Her husband used up enough energy for two matches, but it didn’t affect his performance against defending champion Mohamed El Shorbagy. He was sublime, using his wife’s victory as rocket fuel. As he clinched the final point he looked to the front row to his wife who understatedly, almost sheepishly, joined him slowly, giving him enough room and time to take in the moment. It’s not always easy to win with such dignity.

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Unless they can both win two titles at the British Open or World Championships on the same day, it probably can’t get any better for these two “squash freaks” who love each other. We see high-powered partnerships materialising through sport – Laura Trott and Jason Kenny, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi – but none have had an afternoon like this. For now it’s back to the tour for both of them. Ali played a major event in London last week, losing in the final to Mohamed El Shorbagy. Nour was in Brooklyn, losing in the quarter-finals to Nour El Sherbini, one of the opponents she slayed in Philadelphia. Undoubtedly, they will find some time at home to celebrate together. And they can get back to the things most of us worry about in marriage, like arguing about the bins.
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