KARACHI: Pakistan’s rising squash star Noor Zaman has reached a new milestone in his career, climbing to a career-best 28th position in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings released on Monday.
The 22-year-old’s impressive ascent comes on the back of a strong performance at the recently concluded Optasia Squash Championship 2026.
Pakistan’s Noor Zaman has climbed three places to a career-best No. 28 in the latest PSA Squash Rankings. He recently reached the quarterfinals of the Optasia Championship in the UK, earning 450 points.
He is currently the highest-ranked Pakistani player on the squash circuit,… pic.twitter.com/farV4b6L2v
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) March 30, 2026
Strong showing at Optasia championship boosts rating
Zaman earned 450 ranking points from the tournament, taking his overall rating to 312. His previous best ranking was 29th, achieved on March 2 this year.
The latest jump saw him overtake England’s Declan James, Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller, and Colombia’s Juan Vargas to secure his highest-ever spot on the global ladder.
Road to Tour Finals Latest Standings 📈
➡️ @diegoelias96 returns to the top 8️⃣ qualifying spots after his runner-up finish at @OPTASIAsquash 🔥
➡️ @HaniaaElHammamy back on 🔝 of the women’s standings following her title defence in London 👏Read more 👉 https://t.co/yVTjAOKBUq pic.twitter.com/siF1Ipds5M
— PSA Squash Tour (@PSASquashTour) March 30, 2026
Asal continues to dominate world rankings
Egypt’s Mostafa Asal remains firmly at the top of the world rankings with 2,639 points, followed by New Zealand’s Paul Coll in second place and Mexico’s Diego Elias in third.
Zaman’s promising run in London
Zaman, who clinched the Nash Cup title in September last year, showcased his growing prowess at the Optasia Squash Championship held earlier this month in London.
He began his campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Egypt’s Mazen Hesham in a thrilling 46-minute encounter.
After taking the first game 11-4, Zaman saw Hesham level the score twice before dominating the decisive fifth game 11-2 to seal the win.
In the following round, Zaman delivered a statement performance by sweeping World No. 14 Leonel Cardenas of Mexico in straight games, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 to book his place in the quarter-finals.
His run was eventually halted by Mexico’s Diego Elias, who went on to finish as the runner-up in the tournament.
