The fifth time proved to be the charm for squash — not the food, but the sport, which will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 summer games at Los Angeles.

Squash is one of the five sports added to the LA Games along with cricket, flag football, baseball/softball and lacrosse. Unlike the other sports which have been in the Olympics in one form or another, squash is making its first appearance after organized attempts failed to be part of London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and the 2024 Games at Paris.

It’s a timely dream come true for America’s most decorated player Amanda Sobhy. Undefeated as a collegian at Harvard, and a successful pro, Ms. Sobhy looks forward to the chance to compete in a global spotlight.

“It’s everything that you can dream of as an athlete to be able to compete in the Olympic Games,” Ms. Sobhy said. “To be able to compete for an Olympic Gold medal, and just to say that you were an Olympian is something that no one can ever take away from you. To have the chance to compete at LA28 and compete in front of friends and family with a home crowd, it would just be so meaningful.”

Squash finally breaks through

Sixteen men and 16 women from around the globe will compete in a single elimination tournament. The United States, as host, is guaranteed one men’s and women’s slot if no American qualifies outright. The growing success of women’s squash especially on the collegiate level in America, helped get the IOC’s approval.

“We have been getting encouraging messages in the U.S. because of the way squash is growing over there,” Alex Gough, the chief executive of the Professional Squash Association said recently. “Their women’s team was second in the World Championships last year and there has been a real rise of the sport there in the last five or six years.”

Various tournaments governed by the World Squash Federation and the Professional Squash Association through 2026 and 2027 have established criteria where winners and high finishers receive ranking points to determine who qualifies for the Olympics.

Better late than never for America’s best

For Ms. Sobhy, competing in Los Angeles would not only be a professional triumph, but a personal one. Born at Sea Cliff, New York, she comes from squash royalty. Her brother, Omar, is a five-time national champion and her father, Khaled played for his nation’s junior team and later coached the Belgian team.

She excelled on the college level at Harvard going undefeated and winning four consecutive individual titles. As a pro, she rose to No. 3 in the world. At 32, she’s playing on two surgically repaired Achilles tendons, after tearing the tendon in her left leg in 2017 and rupturing the tendon in her right leg in 2023.

But she proved her resilience last March, and put an exclamation point on her return by winning her 21^st PSA title at the German Open. It was her first victory since tearing her tendon in 2023.

“I don’t know if there are any Olympians that made it to the Games after coming back from two Achilles ruptures,” Ms. Sobhy told Olympics.com. “A comeback story like mine and to be able to podium would be truly fantastic. I’ll be at the tail end of my career, but anything is possible.”

Ms. Sobhy, her younger sister Sabrina, and Olivia Weaver, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 World Championship, are considered the top American women players.

Hollywood Setting Will Showcase World’s Best

The squash community is eager to see its sport finally recognized on the world’s biggest stage. First played in London’s prisons in the 19^th century, squash later became popular in schools, fitness centers and athletic clubs. Squash is played with competing players alternately using a racket to strike a rubber ball against the front of four glass walls.

In singles and doubles the winner of a volley earns a point when their opponent is unable to make a valid return on the ball. A squash game is typically played to 11 points with the victor having to win by at least two points. A match is usually the best-of-three or best-of-five.

At a competitive level, the game encompasses speed, endurance, and power. It also requires strategy and mental focus. “I think a lot of people don’t realize how difficult the sport is, just given the fact that we kind of make it look easy,” Ms. Sobhy told Newsweek.

Squash will be staged at Courthouse Square on the Universal Studios Lot in San Fernando Valley. Films created there include Back to the Future, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Nutty Professor and Bruce Almighty.

“Being part of the Olympic Games has been a long-held goal for the squash community,” Kevin Klipstein, the president of U.S. Squash, said. “Inclusion will serve as a catalyst to increase awareness of what is already a major participatory sport globally with a long and diverse history. Access to the sport and the opportunities it provides will continue to increase for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.”

Olympic Inclusion Fuels Player Development

To identify and develop players for upcoming international and Olympic competition, U.S. Squash recently launched Player Development Pathway, an all-encompassing program headquartered at the National Squash Academy at Philadelphia. The pathway is a long-term program focused on physical development through age appropriate training and creating opportunities for progression for junior, collegiate and professional squash athletes.

“The National Squash Academy is the first step for all American squash players to realize their Olympic dreams,” said Nick Taylor, the national head coach of US Squash. “We want every player in the country to see themselves on the podium in LA 28 and know exactly how they can make that dream a reality.”

Squash remains largely a niche sport in the United States. According to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, an estimated 1.7 million people participated in squash — playing eight or more times annually — in 2020 after increasing 47 percent between 2013 and 2018.

With it becoming an Olympic event, Squash enthusiasts expect the sport to gain in popularity and participation. “In terms of American squash, I think we are just getting stronger by the day,” Ms. Weaver said.

Don’t Forget the Men

The United States hasn’t had much success on the world stage when it comes to men’s squash. Since 1973, the United States has reached the quarter finals of the World Squash Team Championships just three times — 1981, 2011, and 2023.

A lot can happen in three years, which is why U.S. Squash is focused on long-term development. Currently, America’s best hope to compete for a medal at LA 28 is Timothy Brownell, the top-rated American player.

 An assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania’s squash team, Mr. Brownell won a U.S. National Championship in 2022 and 2025. Last month, he became the first man from the United States in 37 years to reach the third round of the U.S. Open Squash Championships. His career-high world ranking is 29.

Meet the other new Olympic sports

Along with squash, the other four sports added by the International Olympic Committee for LA28 include cricket, lacrosse, flag football and baseball/softball. Cricket is in the Olympics for the first time since 1900, a decision that reportedly raised the value of India’s broadcasting rights by $100 million.

Flag football makes its debut, a different version than the full-contact football that was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Olympics. Lacrosse was played twice previously at the Olympics though not since 1908.

Baseball was played as an official sport in the Olympics from 1992 through 2008, with the United States earning a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics at Sydney. The sport was revived for a single appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo where the Americans earned silver. The USA also earned bronze in 1996 and 2008.

Similarly, softball was part of the Olympic lineup from 1996 to 2008 and joined baseball in the one-off appearance in Tokyo. The U.S. has medaled in every Olympic appearance taking gold in 1996, 2000 and 2004 before finishing second to Japan in 2008 and 2020.

The women who qualify for Team USA at the LA Games will be part of the first Olympics where more women (5,333) than men (5,167) are scheduled to vie for medals. The number of women competing increased due to women’s soccer expanding from 12 to 16 teams and women competing in each of the new and returning events.