Ali Farag: Egyptian squash star on a learning curve balancing family life and career

Shortly before his British Open last-16 clash against familiar foe Karim Abdel Gawad on Wednesday, squash world No 2 Ali Farag was on dad duty, taking care of his nine-month-old daughter Farida while his wife, former world No 3 Nour El Tayeb, was taking a much-needed nap.

A few hours later, Farag gave a sigh of relief as he ended a three-match losing streak to Abdel Gawad – a former world champion – and booked himself a spot in the quarter-finals at a tournament that is considered the “Wimbledon of squash” and one the Egyptian has never won before.

“Probably I’m luckier than any other player on tour because it relieved my mind off of my match. I was very nervous, I didn’t want to think of my match and she wanted to go to sleep, I told Nour, ‘Let me do that, I just want to forget about my match and just spend some time with Farida’,” Farag said on Wednesday.

“It’s been a relief really and for tomorrow hopefully I’ll be taking care of Farida until Nour hopefully does well in her match and then we go again on quarters day.”