The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest open tournament in squash, meaning it admits both professional and amateur players. It is widely ranked with the World Squash Championships as one of the two most prestigious events in the game, and until the World Open was founded in 1976 it was treated as the de facto world championship of the sport; admirers sometimes call it the Wimbledon of squash. The women's event began in 1922 as an amateur contest, and the men's open title was first awarded in 1930 under a challenge system in which a defending champion met one challenger. Since 1948 the men's draw has been a knockout. The two events have been held as one joint tournament since 1983. Play has been continuous apart from the Second World War, the 1934 men's title and the cancelled 2010 and 2011 editions, and the venue has moved between London, Sheffield, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Manchester, Hull and, in recent years, Birmingham. Heather McKay won the women's title 16 times in a row and Jahangir Khan won the men's title ten times in a row.
Facts
Founding Year Founding Year Frequency
Frequency (category) Connections
Competitors Include
Source Amanda Sobhy (Wikipedia)
Source Anthony Ricketts (Wikipedia)
Source Azam Khan (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Camille Serme (Wikipedia)
Source Carla Khan (Wikipedia)
Source Chris Dittmar (Wikipedia)
Source David Palmer (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Diego Elías (Wikipedia)
Source Geoff Hunt (Wikipedia)
Source Grégory Gaultier (Wikipedia)
Source Hashim Khan (Wikipedia)
Source Heather McKay (Wikipedia)
Source Janet Morgan (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Jenny Duncalf (Wikipedia)
Source Jonah Barrington (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Jonathon Power (Wikipedia)
Source Laura Massaro (Wikipedia)
Source Liz Irving (Wikipedia)
Source Mahmoud Karim (Wikipedia)
Source Margot Lumb (Wikipedia)
Source Martine Le Moignan (Wikipedia)
Source Michelle Martin (Wikipedia)
Source Natalie Grainger (Wikipedia)
Source Nour El Sherbini (Wikipedia)
Source Paul Coll (Wikipedia)
Source Peter Marshall (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Peter Nicol (Wikipedia)
Source Qamar Zaman (Wikipedia)
Source Rachael Grinham (Wikipedia)
Source Rodney Eyles (Wikipedia)
Source Rodney Martin (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Source Thierry Lincou (Wikipedia)
Features
Squash, Sports Source British Open Squash Championships (Wikipedia)
Governs
Source British Open Squash Championships (Wikipedia)
Long-Form Articles
In the Other Atlases
Took Place In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject took place.
Source British Open Squash Championships (Wikipedia)Decline, venuesQuote, Decline, venues
the event began to move around Britain with eight different venues over the next 17 years
Sources
1. British Open Squash Championships (Wikipedia)
Lead, de facto world championship
the British Open was considered to be the de facto world championship of the sport.
History, format
replacing it with the current 'knockout' system in 1948
History, men's open title
was not inaugurated until 1930
History, women's event
The women's championships commenced in 1922 as an amateur event
History, continuity
Both Championships have been played continuously since inception
Decline, venues
the event began to move around Britain with eight different venues over the next 17 years
Features: Squash, Lead
is the oldest 'open' tournament in the game of squash
Governs: England Squash, Decline, 2012 return
the competition returned with England Squash holding the British Open at The O2
View the SourcePeter Nicol (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Peter Nicol, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Peter Nicol, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
two British Open titles
Nour El Sherbini (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Nour El Sherbini, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Nour El Sherbini, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
has won the British Open four times
Jonathon Power (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Jonathon Power, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Jonathon Power, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
the British Open in 1999
Geoff Hunt (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Geoff Hunt, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Geoff Hunt, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
eight-times British Open champion
Laura Massaro (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Laura Massaro, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Laura Massaro, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
British Open champion in 2013
Jonah Barrington (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Jonah Barrington, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Jonah Barrington, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
Barrington won the British Open
Hashim Khan (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Hashim Khan, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Hashim Khan, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
He won the British Open Squash Championships (the then de facto world championship) a total of seven times
Michelle Martin (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Michelle Martin, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Michelle Martin, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
six British Open titles
Paul Coll (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Paul Coll, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Paul Coll, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
He is a three times British Open champion
Rachael Grinham (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Rachael Grinham, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Rachael Grinham, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
the British Open in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009
Camille Serme (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Camille Serme, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Camille Serme, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
she won the 2015 British Open
Amanda Sobhy (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Amanda Sobhy, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Amanda Sobhy, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
after reaching the semi-finals of the 2021 British Open
Chris Dittmar (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Chris Dittmar, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Chris Dittmar, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
was runner-up at the British Open twice
David Palmer (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: David Palmer, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: David Palmer, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
the British Open in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008
Heather McKay (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Heather McKay, Lead, British OpenQuote, Competitors Include: Heather McKay, Lead, British Open
winning 16 consecutive British Open titles from 1962 to 1977
Janet Morgan (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Janet Morgan, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Janet Morgan, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
She won the British Open on ten consecutive occasions
Rodney Martin (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Rodney Martin, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Rodney Martin, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
runner-up at the British Open three times
Jenny Duncalf (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Jenny Duncalf, Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Jenny Duncalf, Lead, british-open-squash-championships
she finished runner-up at the British Open
Azam Khan (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Azam Khan (squash player), Lead, british-open-squash-championshipsQuote, Competitors Include: Azam Khan (squash player), Lead, british-open-squash-championships
who won the British Open Championships four times
Grégory Gaultier (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Grégory Gaultier, Lead, British OpenQuote, Competitors Include: Grégory Gaultier, Lead, British Open
the British Open three times, in 2007, 2014 and 2017
Qamar Zaman (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Qamar Zaman, Lead, competitionQuote, Competitors Include: Qamar Zaman, Lead, competition
His biggest triumph was winning the British Open Squash Championships in 1975.
Martine Le Moignan (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Martine Le Moignan, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Martine Le Moignan, Competition record
and runner-up at the British Open in 1985, 1989 and 1992
Mahmoud Karim (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Mahmoud Karim, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Mahmoud Karim, Competition record
He won the British Open men's title four consecutive times from 1947-1950.
Margot Lumb (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Margot Lumb, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Margot Lumb, Competition record
As a squash player she won the British Open for five consecutive seasons (1935 to 1939).
Anthony Ricketts (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Anthony Ricketts, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Anthony Ricketts, Competition record
Ricketts won the British Open in 2005, beating James Willstrop in the final 11-7, 11-9, 11-7.
Rodney Eyles (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Rodney Eyles, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Rodney Eyles, Competition record
British Open (Finalist)
Natalie Grainger (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Natalie Grainger, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Natalie Grainger, Competition record
and at the British Open in 2004
Peter Marshall (squash player) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Peter Marshall, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Peter Marshall, Competition record
He finished runner-up to Jansher Khan at the World Open in 1994 and the British Open in 1995.
Liz Irving (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Liz Irving, Competition recordQuote, Competitors Include: Liz Irving, Competition record
She was also a three-time finalist at the British Open
Diego Elías (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Diego Elías, CareerQuote, Competitors Include: Diego Elías, Career
defeated the No. 1 ranked Asal in the final of the 2025 Men's British Open Squash Championship
Thierry Lincou (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Thierry Lincou, Career overview, British OpenQuote, Competitors Include: Thierry Lincou, Career overview, British Open
He was runner-up of the prestigious British Open in 2006
Carla Khan (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Carla Khan, CareerQuote, Competitors Include: Carla Khan, Career
Her first tournament was at the prestigious British Open in 1999
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.