Squash · Players · No. 1
Onaopemipo Adegoke
The self-coached Lagos pro who won Nigeria’s first PSA title and is chasing LA 2028.
- 130Career-high rank
- 3PSA titles
- 2023First Nigerian PSA title
- 2025World Games
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Made in Lagos
Onaopemipo Adegoke was born in Lagos on 25 September 1999 and grew up in the game there. Unusually for a professional, he has largely coached himself since turning pro in 2018.
A run of Nigerian firsts
In 2023 he became the first Nigerian to win a PSA World Tour title, fighting back from two games down to win the Namibian Open. In November 2024 he won again in Columbia, USA, becoming the first Nigerian with two PSA Challenger titles, and in January 2025 he climbed to a career-high world No. 130. Standing 1.88 m, he is known on tour as the “Smiling Assassin”.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Turns professional; coaches himself |
| 2022 | Team bronze at the Africa Senior Championships, Bulawayo |
| 2023 | Wins the Namibian Open from 0-2 down: the first PSA World Tour title by a Nigerian |
| 2023 and 2024 | Plays for Nigeria at the World Team Championships |
| Nov 2024 | Wins the Squash Inspire Pro Challenger in Columbia, USA: the first Nigerian with two PSA Challenger titles |
| Jan 2025 | Career-high world ranking: No. 130 |
| Jul 2025 | Beats Gabriel Olufunmilayo in an all-Nigerian semi-final in New York |
| Aug 2025 | Represents Nigeria at the World Games in Chengdu, reaching the plate final |
Eyes on Los Angeles 2028
With squash joining the Olympic programme for LA28, Adegoke’s stated goal is to become Nigeria’s first Olympic squash player. In 2025 he was Nigeria’s only squash player at the World Games in Chengdu, reaching the plate final.
More Nigerian squash
Squash in Nigeria
The NSF, the courts and Nigeria’s rising pros.Read more
History of squash in Nigeria
From Harrow School to King’s College, Lagos.Read more
Games and tournaments
African Games, Commonwealth Games, Africa Championships.Read more
Nigerian squash players
Adegoke, Olatunji, Olufunmilayo and the Hall of Fame.Read more
Quick answers
Onaopemipo Adegoke: quick answers
Who is Onaopemipo Adegoke?
Nigeria’s No. 1 men’s squash player, born in Lagos on 25 September 1999, with a career-high world ranking of 130 (January 2025).
What was Adegoke’s first PSA title?
The 2023 Namibian Open, the first PSA World Tour title ever won by a Nigerian.
Why is Adegoke called the Smiling Assassin?
It is the nickname he is known by on the professional tour.