Joshna Chinappa clinches 11th PSA title with victory at Japan Open

Indian squash veteran Joshna Chinappa added another milestone to her illustrious career by winning the women’s singles title at the Japan Open 2025 in Yokohama on Monday, securing her 11th PSA title.

The 39-year-old, ranked 117th in the world and unseeded for the event, defeated third-seeded Egyptian Haya Ali 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8 in the final.

The two players had previously met in the second round of the Bermuda Open earlier this year, where Ali edged past Chinappa in a thrilling five-game match.

Chinappa’s triumph in Japan is part of a remarkable resurgence following knee surgery after the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where she helped India claim a bronze medal in the women’s team event.

Earlier this year, she partnered with teenage sensation Anahat Singh to claim the women’s doubles title at the Asian Championships in June and also made it to the semi-finals of the Indian Open, narrowly losing to Anahat, the eventual champion.

Her road to the Japan Open title was impressive. In the quarter-finals, she overcame second-seeded Nardine Garas of Egypt 11-8, 15-13, 11-9, before comfortably defeating fourth-seeded Rana Ismail 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 in the semi-finals.

She also dispatched French fifth seed Lauren Baltayan 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 in the second round and started the tournament with a straight-games win over Malaysia’s Anrie Goh 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.

This victory not only adds another PSA title to Chinappa’s record but also highlights her enduring determination and expertise on the court.

Her previous PSA triumph at the NSCI Open in 2015 similarly demonstrated her ability to rise to the occasion, cementing her status as one of India’s most accomplished squash players.

In other PSA action, India’s reigning men’s national champion Abhay Singh was eliminated in the round-of-16 at the Silicon Valley Open in Redwood City, falling to French world No. 9 Victor Crouin in the $130,500 PSA Gold event.