Mostafa Asal

{{Infobox squash player

| name = Mostafa Asal

| image = Mostafa_Asal_2023.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Mostafa Asal in 2023.

| nickname = The Raging Bull

| country = Egypt

| residence = 6th of October City

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|05|09}}

| birth_place = Cairo, Egypt

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 189 cm

| weight = 80kg

| turnedpro = 2018

| retired = Active

| plays =

| coach = Ibrahim Assal, James Willstrop

| racquet = Tecnifibre

| website =

| event = Men's singles

| years_active =

| highest_ranking = No. 1

| date_of_highest_ranking = January 2023

| current_ranking = No. 1

| date_of_current_ranking = April 2025

| WorldOpenresult = Finalist 2023/24

| titles = 17

| finals = 26

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{EGY}}}}

| psa_id = mostafa-asal

}}

Mostafa Asal ({{langx|ar|مُصْطَفَى عَسَل}}; born 9 May 2001) is an Egyptian professional squash player. A two-time World Team Champion, and current rank one squash player, Mostafa is nicknamed "The Raging Bull" for his controversial play style and contemptible on-court behavior, having injured multiple opponents and serving multiple suspensions for serious offenses.{{cite web|url=https://psaworldtour.com/players/view/11942/mostafa-asal|title=Mostafa Asal - Professional Squash Association|website=psaworldtour.com|accessdate=3 July 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Woodburn |first=Doug |date=2023-02-07 |title=Mostafa Asal: The Young Champion Polarising Squash Opinion |url=https://squash-iq.com/mostafa-asal-the-young-champion-polarising-squash-opinion/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en-US}}

Career

Mostafa Asal won the British Junior U17 Open 2018,{{cite web|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/7489-mens-british-junior-u17-open-2018|title=Squash Info | Men's British Junior U17 Open 2018|website=Squash|access-date=16 August 2018}} the PSA10 2018 Mar del Plata Open,{{cite web|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/7645-mens-mar-del-plata-open-2018|title=Squash Info - Men's Mar del Plata Open 2018 - Squash|website=www.squashinfo.com|access-date=12 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2016/mardelplata2018.htm|website=squashsite.co.uk|title=Mar del Plata Open Squash 2018|accessdate=16 August 2018}} PSA10 2018 Regatas Resistencia Open,{{cite web|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/7659-mens-regatas-resistencia-open-2018|title=Squash Info | Men's Regatas Resistencia Open 2018|website=Squash|access-date=16 August 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2016/resistencia2018.htm|website=squashsite.co.uk|title=Resistencia Open Squash 2018 Argentina|accessdate=16 August 2018}} the 2021 Men's PSA World Tour Finals, and the 2021 U.S. Open Squash Men's Championship.

In January 2021, Asal accepted a two-month suspension from the PSA following on-court disciplinary matters.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-11 |title=Asal Accepts Two-Month Suspension |url=https://www.psaworldtour.com/news/asal-accepts-two-month-suspension/ |website=PSA World Tour |language=en-GB}}

Asal reached the semi-final of the 2022 PSA Men's World Squash Championship, where he lost to the eventual champion Ali Farag.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsquash.org/nour-el-sherbini-and-ali-farag-win-psa-world-championship-titles/ |title=Nour El Sherbini and Ali Farag win PSA World Championship titles |website=World Squash Federation |access-date=3 May 2023}}

In the 2022 U.S. Open, Asal lost a match for inflicting an injury on Lucas Serme, his opponent, by hitting him with a shot up the middle of the court, striking Serme in the head and resulting in a concussion and perforated eardrum.{{Cite web |last=Thatcher |first=Alan |date=2022-10-10 |title=Mostafa Asal disqualified from the U.S. Open after bursting opponent Lucas Sermes's eardrum with a wayward shot |url=https://squashmad.com/breaking-news/mostafa-asal-disqualified-from-the-u-s-open-after-bursting-opponent-lucas-sermes-eardrum-with-a-wayward-shot/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=Squash Mad |language=en-US}}

In the CIB Egyptian Open in September 2022, where Asal lost to Ali Farag in the semi-finals, Asal's father, Mahmoud Asal, was suspended after the loss until November 2023 for a courtside confrontation of Husseum Abaza, CEO of CIB Bank and a major squash benefactor.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Mike |date=2023-01-17 |title=Mostafa Asal's father banned from PSA Tour |url=https://squashmad.com/featured/mostafa-asals-father-banned-from-psa-tour/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=Squash Mad |language=en-US}}

In January 2023, at the Houston Open, Asal's elbow appeared to connect with Marwan El Shorbagy's groin area, with him being taken off on a stretcher and then to the hospital, and with El Shorbagy commenting, "If this is the future of our sport then good luck."{{Cite web |last=stevecubbins |date=2023-12-18 |title=Anti-Sports Personality of the Year |url=https://thesquashsite.com/anti-sports-personality-of-the-year |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=SquashSite - all about Squash |language=en-GB}}{{Citation |title=Asal vs Marwan - controversy at Houston Open 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCM728SvE_w |access-date=2024-01-08 |language=en}} In March 2023, Asal was suspended for 6 weeks by the PSA for violating the code of conduct. Asal also received a fine of £2,000.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-20 |title=Mostafa Asal Handed Six-Week Suspension |url=https://www.psaworldtour.com/featured-news/mostafa-asal-handed-six-week-suspension-2// |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=PSA World Tour |language=en-GB}}

However, he returned as the number 1 seed for the 2023 PSA Men's World Squash Championship and reached the semi-final where he was knocked out by Ali Farag.{{cite web |url=https://worldsquashchamps.com/draws/ |title=2023 World Championship |website=PSA |access-date=4 May 2023}} In August 2023 Asal received a 12-week suspension from the PSA tour for abuse of racket or equipment, physical abuse, and dangerous play during his match against Joel Makin in the 2023 world championships and unsportsmanlike conduct in the same event's match with Mazen Hesham.{{Cite web |last=Reuthe |first=Sean |date=2023-08-03 |title=Mostafa Asal Handed 12-Week Suspension |url=https://www.psaworldtour.com/featured-news/mostafa-asal-handed-12-week-suspension/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=PSA World Tour |language=en-GB}} The suspension start date was post-dated to July 18, 2023, and Asal did not appeal the suspension. Mahmoud Asal's father Mostafa released a statement that the suspension was due to a conspiracy by Karim Darwish and an attempt to destroy the future of Asal and prevent him from reaching the top position again.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-04 |title=أول تعليق لوالد مصطفى عسل بعد صدور قرارالايقاف {{!}} اوان مصر |url=https://www.awanmasr.com/%d8%a3%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%82-%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b7%d9%81%d9%89-%d8%b9%d8%b3%d9%84-%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%af-%d8%b5%d8%af%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%82%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b1/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |language=ar}}

The Guardian named Asal as one of The Anti-Sports Personality of the Year awards 2023.{{Cite news |last=Burnton |first=Simon |date=2023-12-17 |title=The Anti-Sports Personality of the Year awards 2023 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/dec/17/the-anti-sports-personality-of-the-year-awards-2023 |access-date=2024-01-08 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} He spent 18 weeks of the year 2023 suspended from play. His fortunes improved when in December 2023, he was part of the Egyptian team that secured the gold medal at the 2023 Men's World Team Squash Championships in New Zealand.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/squash/67741947 |title=World Squash Team Championship: Egypt defeat England to retain men's title |website=BBC Sport | date=17 December 2023 |access-date=19 December 2024 }}

In May 2024, he reached the final of the 2024 PSA Men's World Squash Championship, losing in the final to Peruvian Diego Elías and in September 2024 Asal won the Paris Squash tournament, beating Ali Farag in the final.{{Cite web |last=stevecubbins |date=2024-09-19 |title=Paris Squash 2024 : It's Sherbini and Asal again |url=https://thesquashsite.com/paris-squash-2024 |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=SquashSite - all about Squash |language=en-GB}} In December, Asal won a second world team title at the 2024 Men's World Team Squash Championships in Hong Kong.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsquash.org/egypt-complete-historic-clean-sweep-of-wsf-world-squash-team-championship-titles/ |title=Egypt complete historic clean sweep of WSF World Squash Team Championship titles |website=World Squash | date=18 December 2024 |access-date=19 December 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.egyptindependent.com/egypts-squash-team-defeats-england-and-wins-world-championship-title/ |title=Egypt's squash team defeats England and wins World Championship title | date=17 December 2024 |website=Egypt Independent |access-date=19 December 2024 }}

In March 2025, Asal won his 19th PSA title after securing victory in the OptAsia Championships during the 2024–25 PSA Squash Tour{{cite web |url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/11108-mens-optasia-championship-2025|title=$118,000 Men's Optasia Championship 2025, The Wimbledon Club, London, England |website=Squash Info |access-date=23 April 2025 }} and the following month won a 20th after victory in the El Gouna International.{{cite web |url=https://egyptian-gazette.com/sports/world-no-1s-dominate-el-gouna-squash/ |title=World No. 1s dominate El-Gouna squash |website=Egyptian Gazette |date=20 April 2025 |access-date=23 April 2025 }}