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A five-game comeback and a straight-games victory brought the Grasshopper Cup 2026 finals to a close at Zurich Main Station on 26 April. Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam lifted the trophy for the first time, while Egypt’s Karim Abdel Gawad celebrated his second Zurich title.
Karim Abdel Gawad defeated France’s Victor Crouin 3–0 (11–8, 11–4, 11–5) in the men’s final. The match lasted 30 minutes and secured his second Grasshopper Cup title following his 2023 victory. Across the entire tournament, he dropped just one game.
Both finalists had overcome strong opposition in the semi-finals. Crouin beat top seed Diego Elías 3–1, while Gawad defeated Joel Makin by the same score. In the final, Gawad completed the job without losing a game.
“it's always special to win a title more than once.”
Karim Abdel Gawad — excerpt from his post-final comments, reported by Squash Info
Sivasangari Subramaniam’s route to the trophy took her through a final full of changing fortunes. She edged the opening game against Satomi Watanabe 15–13, before the Japanese player took control with two 11–5 wins. Subramaniam now needed both remaining games. She delivered, taking them 11–7 and 11–8 to complete a 62-minute victory: 3–2 (15–13, 5–11, 5–11, 11–7, 11–8). Just a day earlier, she had also recovered from 2–1 down against Amina Orfi. Two days, two five-game wins, one title.
The result also added a new chapter to her Zurich story. In 2025, Subramaniam had finished runner-up to Nouran Gohar. A year later, it was her turn to lift the trophy. Following her Australian Open success, this was her second tournament title of the 2026 calendar year. Her affection for the event was clear in her comments during the tournament:
“I love Zurich, and I love the crowd here.”
Sivasangari Subramaniam — reported by The Star
Beyond the finals, the Grasshopper Cup offered opportunities to discover the sport. Visitors could pick up a racket at the Swiss Squash stand, while junior clinics brought young players together with world-class professionals. A junior tournament also formed part of the programme on finals day.
Thank you to all the players, fans, volunteers and partners who contributed to the 2026 edition. The next Grasshopper Cup takes place from 6 to 11 April 2027. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates as preparations continue.
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