Karim Gawad
Egyptian squash player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karim Abdel Gawad (Arabic: كَرِيم عَبْد الْجَوَاد; born 30 July 1991) is an Egyptian professional squash player. He is a former world individual champion and world number 1 and a three-times world team champion.
Karim Abdel Gawad at the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Karim Abdel Gawad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | The Baby Faced Assassin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 July 1991 Alexandria, Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right Handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turned pro | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Hisham El Attar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | Active | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Harrow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (May 2017) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 6 (4 August 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2016) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
In November 2016, he won the 2016 World Open Squash Championship in Cairo in Egypt against Ramy Ashour. He became the third Egyptian to win the World Championship after Amr Shabana and Ashour. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in May 2017.[1][2] Later in 2017, he was part of the Egyptian team that won the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships in France and repeated the success with Egypt at the 2019 Men's World Team Squash Championships in the United States.
In 2020, he suffered a major injury during the final of the 2020 Manchester Open. He damaged his heel, which eventually led to ten months out of squash and his world ranking plummeted as a result.[3]
In May 2023, he reached the final of the 2023 PSA Men's World Squash Championship, after defeating second seed Diego Elías in the quarter final and third seed Mohamed El Shorbagy in the semi final.[4] In the final he lost to compatriot Ali Farag but Gawad became the first unseeded player since Rodney Martin in 1991 to reach the world championship final.[5] It completed a remarkable comeback from the injury he suffered the previous year.
Gawad was recalled to the Egyptian team for the 2024 Men's World Team Squash Championships in Hong Kong and secured a third career gold medal in the Championships.[6][7]
In March 2025, Gawad won his 30th PSA title after securing victory in the Australian Open during the 2024–25 PSA Squash Tour[8] and a 31st success arrived in October after he won the Silicon Valley Open during the 2025–26 PSA Squash Tour. In May 2026 he reached the semi-final of the 2026 Men's World Squash Championship.[9]
Titles and Finals
Major Finals (11)
Major tournaments include:
- PSA World Championships
- PSA World Tour Finals
- Top-tier PSA World Tour tournaments (Platinum/World Series/Super Series)
| Year/Season | Tournament | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hong Kong Open | Ramy Ashour | Loss (1) | 9-11 11-8 6-11 11-5 6-11 |
| 2016 | PSA World Championships | Ramy Ashour | Win (1) | 5-11 11-6 11-7 2-1 (retired) |
| 2016 | Qatar Classic | Mohamed El Shorbagy | Win (2) | 12-10 15-13 11-7 |
| 2017 | Tournament of Champions | Grégory Gaultier | Win (3) | 6-11 11-6 12-10 11-6 |
| 2017 | El Gouna International | Grégory Gaultier | Loss (2) | 6-11 8-11 7-11 |
| 2018 | Black Ball Open | Ali Farag | Win (4) | 11-6 13-11 7-11 11-8 |
| 2019 | El Gouna International | Ali Farag | Loss (3) | 9-11 10-12 3-11 |
| 2018-19 | PSA World Tour Finals | Mohamed Abouelghar | Win (5) | 12-10 11-6 5-11 8-11 12-10 |
| 2019 | Egyptian Open | Ali Farag | Win (6) | 11-6 11-8 11-8 |
| 2019-20 | PSA World Tour Finals | Marwan El Shorbagy | Loss (4) | 6-11 5-11 3-11 |
| 2022-23 | PSA World Championships | Ali Farag | Loss (5) | 10-12 6-11 6-11 |
World Open final appearances
Major World Series final appearances
Qatar Classic
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 |  Mohamed El Shorbagy | 12–10, 13–15, 11-7 |
Hong Kong Open
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2016 | Ramy Ashour | 11–9, 8–11, 11–6, 5–11, 11-6 |