90 Seconds With Nour El Sherbini

Squash Magazine: What are some things you enjoying doing other than squash?
Nour El Sherbini: I love playing tennis and soccer, and going out with my friends.

SM: Who are some of your sporting idols?
NS: Roger Federer, Amr Shabana and Nicol David

SM: What is one thing about you people in the squash world don’t know?
NS: I can be very lazy, and can be someone completely different outside the court. You’re going to be shocked when you first meet me.

SM: What’s your pump up music?
NS: Anything really loud to wake me up. Sometimes Egyptian national songs so I think ‘alright, I really have to go for it now.’ I like so many songs, it’s hard to choose one.

SM: How have you balanced squash and studies?
NS: It’s really hard actually, trying to balance squash and school, but my school is helping me a lot. I can take an exam early or late when I’m traveling. I’m studying media management so I always have a lot to do between projects, advertisements, and other work.

SM: If you weren’t a squash professional, what would you be?
NS: Outside of squash, I’d want to do what I love, which is media management. I’m happy that I’m doing squash. I love squash. But if I didn’t do squash, I would want to be working with media.

SM: If you could change one thing in squash, what would it be?
NS: No tin! So I would never tin. It’s 17 inches now, but I’m still tinning!

SM: How do you like the 17 inch tin?
NS: I love it, I really really love it. It suits our game. The women’s game needed something like this, it’s better for us.

SM: Favorite tournament?
NS: I love the ToC and U.S. Open. Really my favorite tournaments depend on my results.

SM: Favorite food?
NS: Chicken. Any style of chicken, and I will eat it.

SM: What was it like winning three world junior championships?
NS: It was amazing. The first and third one meant the most. The first one it didn’t even come into my mind that I was going to win it. The third one I had a lot of injuries before, and I was taping everything left and right. I didn’t even think I was going to play and I almost withdrew. Two weeks before the tournament I thought ‘let’s just go and play anyway.’ There were a lot of really good Egyptians there and it was really hard for me to win that one.

SM: Why do you think there are so many good young Egyptian squash pros?
NS: I don’t know actually. Maybe because they’re always watching the older players and learning from them.