Season Review: Olivia Weaver

American No.1 Olivia Weaver took huge strides over the course of the 23/24 PSA World Tour season, taking her game to new levels and consistently threatening in the latter stages of tournaments.

Despite a hit-and-miss start to the campaign, Weaver only moved from strength to strength as the 2024 calendar year continued, winning back-to-back titles on home soil and reaching the semi-finals for the first time at the PSA World Championships. Weaver started the season on the fringes of the world’s top ten, holding the No.9 ranking between August and November, but rose to a career-high rank of No.4 this May.

After quarter-final finishes in the two opening Platinum events of the season, Paris Squash and the Qatar Classic, Weaver managed to progress to the last four of the US Open in Philadelphia in what proved to be a historic run at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. The 28-year-old’s quarter-final victory over then-World No.5 Nour El Tayeb ensured two women from the United States would be in the US Open semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history. Despite being roared on by a fervent home crowd in the last four, Weaver didn’t quite have enough to defeat Nour El Sherbini, who she lost to in four games.

Weaver, formerly known as Olivia Fiechter, took a step back from the World Tour for the month and a half following the US Open to celebrate her marriage, and then subsequently compete in the Pan American Games. Upon her return to action, she fell to defeat at the hands of Hollie Naughton in the Last 32 of the Hong Kong Open.

However, after the turn of the year, the American No.1 started to find her best squash on a consistent basis, reaching at least the semi-finals of nine out of her next ten events.

After a pair of exits to World No.1 El Sherbini at the Florida Open and the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, Weaver reached the semi-finals of the Carol Weymuller Open and then captured back-to-back Silver-level titles.

This run of eight straight wins at the Cincinnati Cup and the DAC Pro Classic included impressive straight-game victories over the likes of top-ten trio Georgina Kennedy, Tinne Gilis, and Rowan Elaraby. Such was her dominance over these two events that Weaver dropped just one game on her way to titles No.13 and No.14 of her PSA Tour career.

With confidence flowing in her game and the technical tweaks made alongside her coach Rodney Martin reaping their rewards, Weaver continued her impressive form, claiming a commanding win over up-and-coming star Amina Orfi on her way to the Windy City Open quarter-finals and also reaching the final of a Gold-level event for the first time at the Black Ball Open. Seeded at No.2 in Cairo, Weaver defeated Melissa Alves, Hana Moataz and Tinne Gilis on her way to the title decider. Top seed Nouran Gohar ultimately proved too strong in the subsequent final.

At the El Gouna International, the American No.1 reached the quarter-finals stage before progressing to the last four of the PSA World Championships for the first time in her career. Weaver came through a tough last-16 tie with Salma Hany in straight games before seeing off the threat of up-and-coming star Fayrouz Aboelkheir in the last eight. Weaver’s semi-final display against World No.1 El Sherbini was both a superb performance but equally an opportunity missed, as she eventually fell to a five-game defeat despite leading twice in the match.

The final two events of the season saw the 28-year-old exit at the quarter-final stage of the British Open – with a five-game victory over compatriot Sabrina Sobhy one particular highlight – and fall out of the PSA World Tour Finals in the pool stages.

The Figures

Matches Played: 52

Matches Won: 36

Matches Lost: 16

Events Won: 2

Win Percentage: 69.2%

Event Results

Paris Squash – Last 16

QTerminals Qatar Classic – Last 16

South Western Open – Quarter-Finalist

US Open – Semi-Finalist

Hong Kong Open – Last 32

Florida Open – Semi-Finalist

J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions – Quarter-Finalist

Carol Weymuller Open – Semi-Finalist

Cincinnati Cup – Winner

DAC Pro Classic – Winner

Windy City Open – Quarter-Finalist

Squash in the Land -Semi-Finalist

Black Ball Open – Runner-Up

El Gouna International – Quarter-Finalist

PSA World Championships – Semi-Finalist

British Open – Quarter-Finalist

Xbox PSA World Tour Finals – Pool Stages