El Sherbini Determined to Maintain Quality in 2024

World No.1 and World Champion Nour El Sherbini says that she is determined to maintain her quality and stay consistent heading into the early parts of 2024 after a strong start to the season which has seen her claim three titles on the PSA World Tour.

‘The Warrior Princess’ has claimed wins at the Paris Squash, U.S Open and Grasshopper Cup as well as a runner-up finish at the QTerminals Qatar Classic in the opening months of the campaign, and her consistency has stretched her lead at the top of the rankings to over 500 points ahead of compatriot Nouran Gohar.

“I’m definitely pleased with my first half of the season,” said ElSherbini.

“This is what I’m working on currently, to be more consistent. Of course, winning three events out of five gives me a huge boost for the second half of the season.”

El Sherbini has beaten World No.3 Hania El Hammamy in two finals this season, winning both 3-0. El Sherbini is one of only three players to beat El Hammamy by that scoreline – the others being Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy – since 2021, but says that her focus is always on her own performance and seldom on her opponent.

“I only think about what I want to do on court. I try to focus on my game plan and stick to it from the first point until the last point. I don’t focus on who I’m playing, I respect all my opponents from the first round until the last match of the tournament. I only want to win. That was in my mind in the first half of the season and in every match I played, and I’m happy that I’m thinking that way. It helped me to perform like I have and that’s the main thing for me.”

ElSherbini will open her 2024 campaign this week as the SmartCentres Kinetic Florida Open commences. The PSA World Tour Gold event is a brand new event and the top seed knows that she is need of more big performances to back up her titles and points.

“I have some big tournaments to defend in the second half of this season,” El Sherbini explains.

“Some of the most important tournaments in our calendar are coming up. I’m definitely excited to kick off my new year with a new tournament in Florida. I need to focus and be prepared for every tournament now to be able to defend my titles and points.”

“We keep learning from every tournament and we grow together along with my coaches back home and it’s definitely the small details that matter the most.

“I didn’t have the best ending to 2023 and I want to prove that it was only one slip and get rid of it from my mind and keep moving forward, so I’m very determined to start the new year.”

After El Sherbini opens her year in Florida, she will head to New York City for the iconic J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions. The 28-year-old is a four-time champion in New York and is still filled with excitement at the prospect of competing under the Vanderbilt Hall chandeliers once again.

“I love the ToC, it’s one of my favourite places to play squash. I have so many good memories there, the vibes, the crowd, the court, everything is surreal. Above all, this was my first Platinum event win and it was a start to many good things that came after, so it’s definitely a very special place for me.”