AUC Alumna and Husband First Couple to Win US Open Squash Tournament
By: Alia Rabie
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Twenty-four year old AUC alumna, Nour El Tayeb ’16, and her husband Ali Farag, made history by becoming the first couple to win the United States Open Squash Tournament on the same day.
The tournament, which ended on October 14, took place in Philadelphia’s Drexel University. The win is the first Professional Squash Association (PSA) title for both El Tayeb and Farag. El Tayeb is currently the world number 14
El Tayeb graduated AUC in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, getting married later that summer to Farag, who spent his freshman year at AUC before transferring to Harvard University, completing his degree in Engineering.
The Caravan sat with El Tayeb to discuss her success and future endeavors.
How did you first get into the sport?
My dad and older sister, Yasmine, used to play squash. My dad would take me along with him when he to Heliopolis Sporting Club (HSC) to play with his friends. Since then, my love for the sport has been greater than anything else.
What was the greatest factor that shaped your squash career?
I’ve always had the passion and love for the game. It motivated me to balance studying and practicing. It made me happy – and still does. When I was a junior, I’d already won national and international tournaments, so I was eager to see how far or how well I’d do when I moved onto the PSA, which is the senior circuit.
What sacrifices have you had to make to become a squash champion?
From a very young age, I had to balance between doing my homework or studying and going to practice. So I had to give up sleep sometimes to train or study.
When I got into university, it became harder because I had more of a social life too during those years. I remember I was struggling with my motivation to continue pursuing squash during my first semester because I didn’t like the fact that I never got to hang out with my friends between or after classes.
I wasn’t a very happy 19 year old girl at the time. I struggled to keep up with squash and so my ranking and performance dropped. It took me over a year to adjust to college life and understand that I could love squash and still enjoy hanging out with my friends, even if it was not as much as I would’ve liked.
How was the competition? Were you pressured by the fact that you were representing Egypt? Did you have to train in a particular way to prepare for this tournament?
It was hard, of course but we had already been playing around ten tournaments a year so we had gotten used to it a little. I trained very hard over the last year and a half, but I think it was paying off gradually. I added a new coach to my team, changed a few things in my training schedule but otherwise, nothing major.
Do you have any specific dietary plans during your pre-season? And how does that change throughout the season?
It is only recently that I started watching my food intake. Growing up I was always too skinny to worry about food, but of course now things have changed.
Personally, during the off-season I become very strict with my diet and even try to lose weight because once the season begins I obviously don’t get to train as much. So, during the off-season I give myself room to gain a bit of weight during the season.
During the off-season, I would train 3 sessions a day whereas during the tournament I would only train once a day, so that’s obviously a lot less calories burned.
For how long do you see yourself competing, and what do you see yourself doing after you are done with your sports career?
I would to have kids at some point. So, this is when I would have to stop but I would like to remain involved in squash.
How was playing with your husband in the same competition different from competing separately?
We’ve been playing at the same tournaments for a while now. All the major circuits host both men and women, so we’d end up there together.
What are your goals for the year ahead?
I would like to keep the momentum going. This is my first major win, but my ultimate goal is to become the world number one, so hopefully this is just the start of what’s to come. There are several major upcoming tournaments, such as the Tournament of Champions, the Windy City Open, the Hong Kong Open and the British Open, among others.
