LA 2028 Squash Overview

LA 2028 squash marks the sport’s long-awaited Olympic debut, staged at the Comcast Squash Center on the Universal Studios lot. After several unsuccessful bids across previous Games cycles, squash finally joins the program in Los Angeles — and it does so against one of the most distinctive backdrops of the entire 2028 Games: Courthouse Square, the Universal backlot set featured in films including Back to the Future and To Kill a Mockingbird.

The program features men’s and women’s singles, played on a glass show court that allows spectators to view the action from all sides — the format squash has developed for its biggest professional events. Squash is one of the most physically demanding racket sports, combining speed, endurance, and tactical precision in a confined court. Egypt enters as the dominant force in the world game across both the men’s and women’s fields.

Format & Sessions

Squash at LA 2028 is contested as men’s and women’s singles in a single-elimination bracket. Matches are best of five games, each played to 11 points. The glass show court, positioned so spectators can watch from all four sides, delivers an intimate, high-intensity viewing experience unlike any other racket sport at the Games.

LA 2028 Squash Venue: Comcast Squash Center, Universal Studios

Squash at the 2028 Summer Games is held at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios, on the backlot’s Courthouse Square — one of Hollywood’s most recognizable film sets, seen in productions from Back to the Future to To Kill a Mockingbird. A purpose-built glass show court is installed for the Games, giving squash one of the most cinematic settings of any 2028 venue. For official Games information see the official LA28 organizing committee, and for the sport’s governing body see the World Squash Federation.

A Hollywood Setting

Universal Studios sits in Universal City, in the southeastern San Fernando Valley near the Hollywood Hills, roughly 35 minutes from LAX. Staging squash on the Courthouse Square backlot is one of the most creative venue decisions of the 2028 Games, placing an intimate, intense racket sport inside a working film set. Groups attending squash can base themselves in the Universal City, Studio City, or Hollywood areas, all within short reach of the venue.

Squash’s Road to the Olympics

Squash is a four-wall racket sport played in an enclosed court, in which two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall. It is renowned as one of the most physically demanding sports in the world, combining sprint-level movement with prolonged rallies and constant tactical positioning.

Despite its global following, squash endured a long and frustrating path to the Olympics, missing out in several previous bid cycles before finally being approved for LA 2028. Its inclusion was welcomed across the sport as recognition of decades of effort. The modern glass-court presentation — which transformed squash into a spectator-friendly event at major professional tournaments — was central to making the Olympic case.

Why Squash Was Added

LA28 proposed squash as part of its package of additional sports, and the World Squash Federation had long campaigned for inclusion. The sport’s strength across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, its compact venue footprint, and its dramatic glass-court format all supported the case. For the 2028 Games, the ability to stage it in a striking, self-contained setting like the Universal backlot made it a natural fit.

What to Expect at LA 2028

LA 2028 squash arrives as one of the most anticipated debut events among racket-sport followers, staged in a setting unlike any other at the Games. The glass show court at Universal Studios promises an intense, intimate spectator experience for a sport making its long-sought Olympic bow.

The Field

Egypt is the dominant nation in world squash, holding many of the top rankings in both the men’s and women’s games — to the point where multiple podium contenders could come from a single country. England, the United States, France, Peru, and several Asian nations also field world-class players. The singles draws are expected to feature the sport’s biggest names competing for the first Olympic squash medals.

US Interest

Squash has a strong and growing base in the United States, particularly through the collegiate and club systems on the East Coast, and American players have risen up the world rankings in recent years. A home Games gives the US squash community a landmark moment and a chance to see the world’s best on the Universal show court.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Sports at LA 2028

Squash is one of five new sports on the 2028 program. Individual sport guides for LA 2028 are listed below.