Sivasangari Subramaniam is a professional squash player from Malaysia who has made her mark on the international stage. Born in Kuala Lumpur, she took up the sport at a young age and quickly showed tremendous potential.
Siva, as she is known, had a stellar junior career, winning multiple Asian junior titles. Her breakthrough came in 2013 when she became the youngest Malaysian to win the Malaysian Open at just 18 years old. She was ranked No. 51 in the world (2019) when she first started her degree at Cornell University – one of the top universities in the world. From there, she jumped to World No. 16 (2022) while juggling her education and later graduated with Bachelor of Science in Communications with High Honors.
Besides that, she also played #1 for the Cornell Varsity Women's Squash Team throughout her four seasons and was also the Ivy-League Player of the Year for year 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, Siva's promising career was derailed when she suffered facial fractures and a life-threatening fracture of her C1 vertebra in a serious car accident. For two months she wore a neck collar and often needed assistance for basic tasks from her mother. However, athletes like her are driven to move and not conditioned to sit still. Just four weeks after the accident, the comeback had commenced as Siva asked to start rehab and exercises so that she can get back to the sport as soon as possible.
Her grit and determination resulted in an incredible return just seven months after the accident, winning two gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Siva's resilience was further demonstrated in April 2024 when she won the prestigious PSA GillenMarkets London Classic tournament, defeating three of the world's top five players in a gruelling 81-minute final.
In May 2024, Siva moved up one rung to her career-best ranking of No. 10 after reaching the third round of the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. Her rising achievements saw her named in Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the same month.
With four titles in the last year, including two Asian Games golds, Siva looks back to her best. Her attacking style, athleticism and tenacity have earned her a reputation as one of the fittest players on tour. At 25, she continues her pursuit of becoming World No.1.
Off the court, Siva's warm personality has made her a fan favourite as she aims to bring more global squash honors to Malaysia.
