Photos by Kasey Shamis
Shahjahan Khan became the first American man to reach the world’s top twenty-five since Julian Illingworth during the 2022-2023 season. This year, Khan will be aiming to reach the same heights and challenge to reach World Series events consistently. Khan was a part of the team gold medal-winning U.S. squad at the Pan American Championships this summer.
Age: 30
World Ranking: 62
Hometown: Fremont, California
What are your goals going into this season?Â
My goal this season is to consistently challenge the top-ranked players and earn my place among the world’s best.
What tournaments are you looking forward to most?Â
I’m really looking forward to the Silicon Valley Open—it’s always special to compete at home in front of the local crowd at Squash Zone and with the support of my Olympic Club family. Of course, there are also some iconic tournaments on the PSA calendar that I’m aiming to play in once I continue to climb the rankings.
Is there anything you are changing or approaching differently this season?
I’ve kept the same mindset of always pushing my limits, but the difference now is that I’m enjoying the process more than ever.
Anything else you would like to add about this upcoming season?Â
The season has already started on a high note as our men’s team—Nick Spizziri, Dillon Huang, Salim Khan, and myself—won the gold medal at the Pan American Team Championships, alongside incredible support from our coaches Nick Taylor and Karim Ibrahim, who did a fantastic job guiding and motivating us throughout the event. A big shoutout as well to physio Laurence Leonard, who kept us in top shape the entire week. It was an unforgettable experience, with everyone giving it their all. What made it even more special was seeing both the men’s and women’s teams bring home gold for Team USA. I’m excited to carry this momentum forward and keep building toward more success and memories this season.
