 Karim Abdel Gawad at the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Karim Abdel Gawad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Baby Faced Assassin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-07-30) 30 July 1991 (age 33) Alexandria, Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Cairo, Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | Active | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right Handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Hisham El Attar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Harrow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (May 2017) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 7 (December 2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final(s) | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2016) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Karim Gawad (born 30 July 1991) is an Egyptian professional squash player. He is a former world individual champion and world number 1 and a three-times world team champion.
Career
In November 2016, he won the 2016 World Open Squash Championship in Cairo in Egypt against Ramy Ashour. He became the third Egyptian to win the World Championship after Amr Shabana and Ashour. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in May 2017. Later in 2017, he was part of the Egyptian team that won the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships in France and repeated the success with Egypt at the 2019 Men's World Team Squash Championships in the United States.
In 2020, he suffered a major injury during the final of the 2020 Manchester Open. He damaged his heel, which eventually led to ten months out of squash and his world ranking plummeted as a result.
In May 2023, he reached the final of the 2023 PSA Men's World Squash Championship, after defeating second seed Diego Elías in the quarter final and third seed Mohamed El Shorbagy in the semi final. In the final he lost to compatriot Ali Farag but Gawad became the first unseeded player since Rodney Martin in 1991 to reach the world championship final. It completed a remarkable comeback from the injury he suffered the previous year.
Gawad was recalled to the Egyptian team for the 2024 Men's World Team Squash Championships in Hong Kong and secured a third career gold medal in the Championships.
Titles and Finals
Major Finals (11)
Major tournaments include:
- PSA World Championships
- PSA World Tour Finals
- Top-tier PSA World Tour tournaments (Platinum/World Series/Super Series)
| Year/Season | Tournament | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hong Kong Open | Ramy Ashour | Loss (1) | 9-11 11-8 6-11 11-5 6-11 |
| 2016 | PSA World Championships | Ramy Ashour | Win (1) | 5-11 11-6 11-7 2-1 (retired) |
| 2016 | Qatar Classic | Mohamed El Shorbagy | Win (2) | 12-10 15-13 11-7 |
| 2017 | Tournament of Champions | Grégory Gaultier | Win (3) | 6-11 11-6 12-10 11-6 |
| 2017 | El Gouna International | Grégory Gaultier | Loss (2) | 6-11 8-11 7-11 |
| 2018 | Black Ball Open | Ali Farag | Win (4) | 11-6 13-11 7-11 11-8 |
| 2019 | El Gouna International | Ali Farag | Loss (3) | 9-11 10-12 3-11 |
| 2018-19 | PSA World Tour Finals | Mohamed Abouelghar | Win (5) | 12-10 11-6 5-11 8-11 12-10 |
| 2019 | Egyptian Open | Ali Farag | Win (6) | 11-6 11-8 11-8 |
| 2019-20 | PSA World Tour Finals | Marwan El Shorbagy | Loss (4) | 6-11 5-11 3-11 |
| 2022-23 | PSA World Championships | Ali Farag | Loss (5) | 10-12 6-11 6-11 |
World Open final appearances
| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Cairo, Egypt | Ramy Ashour |
5–11, 11–6, 11–7, 2-1 (retired) |
| Runner-up | 2023 | Chicago, USA | Ali Farag |
10–12, 6–11, 6–11 |
Major World Series final appearances
Qatar Classic
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
12–10, 13–15, 11-7 |
Hong Kong Open
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2016 | Ramy Ashour |
11–9, 8–11, 11–6, 5–11, 11-6 |
Al-Ahram International
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Ali Farag |
11–4, 11–7, 11-5 |
References
- "PSA Player Profile". Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- "SquashInfo Player Profile". Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- ""Four Months in a Wheelchair" – Gawad Discusses Return From Injury Hell". PSA World Tour. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- "2023 World Championship draws". PSA. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- "FINALS : Sherbini and Farag retain titles". World Squash. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- "Egypt complete historic clean sweep of WSF World Squash Team Championship titles". World Squash. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- "Egypt's squash team defeats England and wins World Championship title". Egypt Independent. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- "PSA World Tour, Al-Ahram: Gawad and El Welily crowned champions". Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
External links
- Karim Gawad at the Professional Squash Association (archive) (archive 2)
- Karim Gawad at Squash Info
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byMarwan El Shorbagy | PSA Young Player of the Year 2013 |
Succeeded byFares Dessouky |
| PSA Men's World No. 1 players | |
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