Among the multitude of cafes, restaurants, convenience stores and thousands of New York City commuters at Grand Central Terminal, there was an unexpected pop-up attraction — a glass squash court in the middle of Vanderbilt Hall.
From Jan. 23 to 30, the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions (ToC) — a platinum tournament for professional squash players — occurred in this iconic venue, drawing together fans and players from around the globe.
To those unacquainted with the sport’s impressive universe, Squash may come across as a frivolous country club activity. However, witnessing one match at the ToC instantly shatters such misconceptions.
For Diana Silvestri, a media representative for the ToC, the tournament unites world-class athletes, sports entertainment, impressive company sponsors, an unforgettable New York City location, and even a craft cocktail into one unique lifestyle event.
“For squash fans and players alike the glass court at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is like center court at the US Open. The packed house energy is unmatched, it’s a stage every players want to win on,” Silvestri wrote.
On the tournament’s first day, the scheduled game players represented seven different nations.
This year’s Tournament of Champions (ToC) marks the 27th time it has been held at Grand Central and the 38th time in New York City. Before Grand Central, the tournaments in New York City were held at the Winter Garden Atrium.
The convenience of squash’s glass box courts allows for matches to occur in a multitude of venues not traditionally associated with live sports — for example, in Egypt, the ToC is held in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The sport’s diverse court adaptability mirrors the breadth of its pros’ nationalities. On the tournament’s first day, the scheduled game players represented seven different nations.
Squash, one of the five sports added to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics (LA 2028) lineup, certainly has the increasing popular attraction, court flexibility and international flair to forge its own individual reputation and audience as the next big court sport.
The anticipation of squash’s development was affirmed by John Nimick, the president of Squash Engine, the company that hosts the ToC. Before managing sports entertainment events, Nimick played squash in college and professionally, boasting a long-standing passion for the up-and-coming sport.
Nimick’s reflection on the changes in squash’s pace in the last ten years was emphasized by the repeated sound of the squash ball slamming against the court’s glass walls.
“The game has gotten quicker, it has gotten more offensive and it is more of a shot-making sport than it has ever been,” Nimick said. “Sometimes in the past, it was more attritional, now it’s all about playing offense on the court.”
Nimick credits this recent change of pace to the rise of professional Egyptian squash players and their respective methodologies.
“They (Egyptian squash players) play a brilliant all-court game that’s very fast and quick and offensive-minded which is fabulous. It makes the entertainment value way better,” Nimick said.
Squash’s high-stakes character was on full display at the ToC during the match between two young Egyptian female players, Fayrouz Aboelkheir and Amina Orfi.
The excellence of international players is not only shining in professional play. Fordham squash player Aarav Jhunjhunwala, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’25, highlighted the influx of international players of college squash in recent years.
“More and more programs are recognizing the talent of international student-athletes, giving players like me the opportunity to compete in Division I squash in the U.S.,” Jhunjhunwala wrote. “This has led to greater diversity in playing styles and strategies, making the game even more competitive and exciting.”
Squash’s high-stakes character was on full display at the ToC during the match between two young Egyptian female players, Fayrouz Aboelkheir and Amina Orfi, who are ranked 12th and seventh in the world, respectively. The two players tightly danced around each other to slam the ball out of the court’s left corner. Aboelkheir verbally argued against controversial calls, and Orfi touched the side wall before each serve — a seemingly superstitious habit.
While discussing the match, Gregoire Marche of France, ranked 29th in the world, walked past Nimick. Marche won the first match of the ToC, upsetting the sixth-ranked player in the world, Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt.
After a bit of congratulation, Nimick spoke about which nations to look out for in squash’s debut at the 2028 Olympics, noticing that Egypt seemed to produce many high-ranking players.
“The way players are going to get admitted into the Olympic Games isn’t by the straight world rankings,” Nimick said.
“This milestone will expand the sport’s global reach and provide well-deserved recognition for the athletes who have dedicated themselves to it.” Aarav Jhunjhunwala, GSBRH ’25
In other words, to qualify for LA 2028, players must place first or second in their native country’s squash rankings as, ideally, multiple countries are represented in Olympic-level competition. Apparently, future global rankings disruptions, like that of Marche to Abdel Gawad, are to be expected in the 2028 games due to the Olympics’ internationally inclusive recruitment process.
Nimick’s excitement for squash’s debut in the Olympics is shared by Fordham’s own squash team.
“Our team is thrilled that squash is finally being added to the 2028 Olympics…..it’s long overdue,” Jhunjunwala wrote. “This milestone will expand the sport’s global reach and provide well-deserved recognition for the athletes who have dedicated themselves to it.”
Although Vanderbilt Hall’s glass court is typically reserved for professionals participating in the ToC, the tournament partnered with the College Squash Association (CSA) to host the 2025 CSA Individual Championships’ semifinal and final matches.
Nimick stated that the CSA’s final championship matches aligned with a gap in the ToC’s court time, offering the perfect opportunity to host up-and-coming college athletes.
“As the Tournament of Champions winds down, we open up more time on the glass court, so we could accommodate the semis and finals of the CSA individuals here on Monday and Tuesday,” Nimick said.
Nimick unveiled his and his company’s mission efforts surrounding college squash, pushing to bring a Division I women’s program to Fordham.
“We’re trying to raise awareness for college squash, grow the number of varsity programs, and, most importantly, we are trying to get Fordham to change its women’s club program to varsity,” Nimick said. “Fordham is right at the top of our list as a school that we think will really enjoy having a women’s varsity program.”
Lilian Kinnan, GSBRH ’25, the captain of the Fordham Women’s Club Squash team, has seen the growth of women’s squash firsthand. During her time at Fordham, she has seen the growth in interest from the student body. Along with support from their donor, Patrick Yuen, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’74 and the team’s new coach, Will Pantel, FCRH ’19.
“After COVID, the team was super small and there wasn’t a coach, but in recent years interest has grown a lot,” Kinnan said. “We had 50 girls try out for 10 spots on the team, so we had to make some cuts, which I hated doing, but we had to just because of court space. So, there’s definitely a lot more interest in squash as a sport.”
The ToC encapsulates squash’s increasing presence as a beloved sport and fandom worldwide — an Olympic-level growth occurring in places as recognizable as Grand Central and even on Fordham’s campus.