My family’s been my main support system from day 1.
Without my parents’ support, I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today. They believed in my potential at such a young age, even when I had no interest in the sport myself.
Throughout my junior career, my parents were there for every practice session, every single match, and made sure they got us everything we needed (my sister & I) in order to succeed.
As I turned Pro and became more independent, the values they’ve instilled in me kept me going and were my main driver towards success.
Then I met my lovely wife Raneem El EWelily, who’s a legend of the game herself, and I believe her role in being my main support (on the professional tour) was just as important as my parents’ growing up.
It’s a tough life being a professional squash player, and no one understands the challenges we face more than someone who’d done it themselves. She was there for me whenever I needed support, we talked about challenges and how to overcome them (together), she had great insights about what things I needed to change/add to my routine and so much more. I thought about retirement a few times in my career and I believe I may have gone through with it if she hadn’t been there to convince me otherwise.
My sister Farah Momen has been another strong pillar in my support system. She’s been following all of my matches for the past 20 years and was heavily involved in my day-to-day life. She made sure she was there for the big moments/events of my life, even though she lives in another country. She travelled across the globe to attend my biggest tournaments, and I’m so grateful for the fact that she got to be there when I won my World Championship in Doha.
My in-laws, brother-in-law Tameem El Welily, and my extended family have been massive supporters throughout my journey.
Finally, my 2 lovely boys who are still too young to share words of wisdom 😄. Their mere existence gave me the drive to excel and become the father they’ll always be proud of ❤️
I can’t thank my family enough for everything they’ve done for me, and for that I’ll forever be grateful 🙏❤️
