Here you’ll learn: 1) Why we host the tournament and how you can help/participate; 2) Details on the April 2-6, 2025 tournament (location, schedule, players); and 3) Details on past tournaments (players, results)
Why a Professional Squash Tournament in Rochester?
Ali Farag, featured on our home page, is the current world #1 PSA player. Ali won the Rochester ProAm in 2012 as freshman playing #1 for Harvard. We were dazzled by his skill, athleticism, and humility.
Giving you and our community the opportunity to see and cheer up-and-coming players like Ali is an important reason that the Rochester ProAm exists.
Our motivations for hosting the Rochester ProAm tournament are: to inspire and bring together the squash community; to support rising players; and, most important, to grow squash in Rochester.
Every year, the ProAm brings a group of dedicated professional squash athletes to Rochester. We can learn much from these players who have dedicated themselves to becoming among the top few hundred, world-wide, in their sport. Details on past Rochester ProAm tournaments are below.
The 22st Rochester ProAm, April 2-6, 2025, will host a draw of 21 PSA (Professional Squash Association) world-ranked professional players, and 3 top local players as wildcard entries.
Hazlow Electronics is the 2025 Rochester ProAm title sponsor.
All matches will be played at the Peter Lyman Squash Center at the University of Rochester Goergen Athletic Center.
The Rochester ProAm squash tournament is sponsored by the Rochester Squash Racquets Association (RSRA) and Rochester Community Squash (RCS), both a 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Dent Wilkens, Executive Director of RCS, is the Director of the 2025 Rochester ProAm.
Volunteers from the RSRA community help with organizing: housing and transportation for the players; web and print communications; and the Friday post-match squash social. Community members open their homes to provide housing for players. Funds net of operating expenses go to support RSRA community activities, including RCS.
Entry to all matches is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited with seats reserved for tournament Sponsors.
The Rochester ProAm is a $9K PSA Challenger Tour event. Details on location, schedule, and players; how to support the tournament as a volunteer; or financially as a sponsor are at the links below.
ProAm 2025 Details: location, daily start times, players, and daily match schedule
Volunteer: host a player, transport players – host or transport professional players. Understand what it means to be a professional squash athlete. Click the link to learn about how you can actively participate making the tournament a success
Be a Sponsor – learn about 2025 sponsors, sponsorship levels & benefits
Rochester ProAm History
In the past we have had players rated from No. 50 to No. 200 in the world hailing from USA, Australia, Egypt, Pakistan, Canada, Colombia, Austria, South Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Botswana, Zambia, Japan, Argentina, Wales, England, France, Switzerland, Finland, New Zealand and Brazil.
Rochester ProAm history (Eric Hernady, 2006)
Our event started six years ago when I met John Power at his camp at Dartmouth College. He was coordinating the North American PSA circuit, and tried to convince me to start a tournament of my own with his help. I was very enthusiastic about bringing pro squash to Rochester which had seen a tournament like that in many years. The following year (2002) I along with John’s help had our first challenger event with a 13-man draw. The players were predominantly US-based teaching and touring pros ranging from #120-#300 in the world.
Each of the first three years we had an amateur event along with the PSA tournament. After the third year we elevated the tournament to full PSA Tour status by hosting a satellite event sans the amateur component.
Last year we had a full qualifying draw and main draw with a total of 28 players ranging from #70-#250 in the world. This year’s event will have 15 countries represented and players now make the trip from many parts of the globe.
The tournament has become a springboard for a number of players to reach higher rankings and higher status tournaments. Our past champions include Shawn DeLierre, Rafael F. Alarcon, Karim Yehia, and last year Ritwik Bhattacharya. Although I had originally envisioned US-born players using this event as a way to earn points closer to home, I still consider our event successful. That original goal may in fact be realized in the coming years with the recent successes of young American players like Christopher Gordon and Julian Illingworth and our strong finish in the Pan Am games.
The unexpected reward has been meeting and watching so many incredible athletes from around the world. They are enthusiastic, interesting young players that are respectful and a joy to have here in our city. I hope the word continues to spread about the hospitality of Rochester and its squash community.
Details on Past Rochester ProAm Tournaments
Past Rochester Pro events: 2024, 2023, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
Past SquashSite features: 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Past coverage on SquashTalk: 2008, 2004
Past Rochester ProAm champions:
2024 – Ashab Irfan (PAK)
2023 – Yasin ElShafei (EGY)
2022 – Aly Hussein (EGY)
2021 – NO TOURNAMENT (COVID)
2019 – Leonel Cardenas (MEX)
2018 – Mario Yanez Tapia (MEX)
2017 – NO TOURNAMENT 🙁
2016 – Martin Knight (NZL)
2015 – Eric Galvez (MEX)
2014 – Zac Alexander (AUS)
2013 – Lucas Serme (FRA)
2012 – Ali Farag (EGY)
2011 – Alfredo Avila (MEX)
2010 – Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
2009 – Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
2008 – Ahmed Maged Hamza (EGY)
2007 – Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX)
2006 – Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
2005 – Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND)
2004 – Karim Yehia (EGY)
2003 – Rafael F. Alarcon (BRA)
2002 – Shawn Delierre (CAN)