El Welily was the first Arab woman to be world No. 1 in any sport "The time has come for me to say goodbye," she said CAIRO: Top-ranked women’s squash player, Raneem El Welily, announced her retirement on Thursday. The 31-year-old Egyptian was the first Arab woman to be world No. 1 in any sport, the Professional Squash Association said. El Welily first took the top ranking in 2015, and won her only world championship two years later. She was a three-time runner-up. “Squash has been my life for the past 25 years but the time has come for me to say goodbye,” El Welily said in a statement on her social media accounts. Egypt will retain the top ranking when current world No. 2 Nouran Gohar replaces her compatriot next week.