The battle for men’s world number one is heating up, with five contenders now separated by less than 1,600 points in the rankings.
The top spot has changed hands several times in recent months, with Paul Coll, Ali Farag and – most recently – Mostafa Asal swapping the honours.
Following Diego Elias’ Tournament of Champions victory, five men are tantalising within reach of pole position.
Ali Farag and Mohamed Elshorbagy, who had dominated the game in recent years, remain second and fifth in the rankings, respectively.
Elshorbagy’s promise
Having suffered a disappointing 2021-22 season, Elshorbagy has signalled his intent to reclaim his throne and has gone deep in several tournaments this winter.
After winning the Marigold Singapore Squash Open 2022 in November, The Beast attributed his improved form to a small group of people who had “believed in me and my game last season when I wasn’t playing well”. This includes coach Gregory Gaultier.
“I gave them a promise that I would like to get back to world number one for them,” Elshorbagy (pictured above) said.
Farag, meanwhile, has only played once since a knee injury forced him to pull out of the final of the US Open in October.
Current world number one Asal will be looking to return to winning form after illness resulted in an early exit from the Tournament of Champions.
Elias, who currently sits fourth in the rankings, is arguably the form player, having made the final of the last three Platinum events, while New Zealander Coll also remains in contention.
You could throw a blanket over these five players, making it an exciting time for the men’s game.
