Dipika Pallikal Karthik. India’s Squash Trailblazer

By Mahadev Desai
 

Indian sports fans instantly recognize tennis and badminton icons such as Sania Mirza, P. V. Sindhu, and Saina Nehwal. Yet, far fewer know of another remarkable athlete who has carved out her own historic path — Dipika Pallikal Karthik, India’s pioneering professional squash champion.
In India, badminton remains the most accessible and widely played racquet sport among women, followed by tennis, which enjoys strong support in urban centers. Squash, however, continues to occupy a smaller niche due to limited infrastructure, fewer public courts, and lower media visibility. Despite these challenges, Dipika rose to global prominence and transformed the sport’s profile for Indian women.

Born on September 21, 1991, in Kottayam, Kerala, Dipika began playing squash at a young age and became a national champion at just eleven. She turned professional in 2006 and quickly made her mark on the international circuit. In 2011, she captured her first WISPA title — the Orange County Open in California — followed by two more titles the same year in Washington, D.C., and Hong Kong.
Her strong performance at the World Open propelled her to a world ranking of No. 14 in February 2012, and by December that year, she broke into the top 10 — a historic achievement for an Indian woman in squash. She also became the first female squash player to receive the Arjuna Award in 2012.
Dipika continued her winning streak with her sixth WSA title in Canada in 2013. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she made history again by winning India’s first ever squash medal — a gold in women’s doubles. That same year, she was honored with the Padma Shri.
In 2015, she claimed her 10th Tour title at the Winnipeg Winter Club Women’s Open, and in 2016, she won the Australian Open, her 11th PSA title. Notably, she boycotted the National Championships from 2012 to 2015 to protest unequal prize money. When parity was finally introduced in 2016, she returned and won the national title.

Dipika married former Indian Test cricketer Dinesh Karthik in 2015. The couple welcomed twin boys in 2021 and a daughter in 2026.
Many wondered whether motherhood would end her competitive career. Instead, Dipika delivered one of the greatest comebacks in Indian sports. In April 2022 — less than six months after giving birth to twins — she won two gold medals at the World Doubles Squash Championships in Glasgow. She and Saurav Ghosal became India’s first ever mixed doubles world champions, and she and Joshna Chinappa won India’s first women’s doubles world title.

Dipika’s journey is a testament to determination, resilience, and self belief. She has excelled in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at national and international levels, and her achievements have significantly elevated the visibility of squash in India. She stands today as a beacon of inspiration for women in sports — proving that passion and perseverance can break barriers, redefine expectations, and create history.