Peru’s Diego Elias is the champion of the Smart Centres Canada Cup 2026. On October 30 in Toronto, he beat Mexico’s Leonel Cárdenas 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 in an all-Americas final at the $114,500 PSA Silver event.
The final had everything we love about squash in our region. It brought together two players from the Americas, two top seeds and two close friends. In the end, Diego was too strong on the day, and he lifted the trophy in the city he calls his second home.
Diego Elias on his way to the Canada Cup 2026 title in Toronto.
Diego Elias Wins the Canada Cup in 45 Minutes
Elias, the No.1 seed, controlled the final from the first rally. He took the opening game 11-2, and then kept the pressure on to win the second 11-6. Cárdenas, the No.2 seed, fought hard in the third. However, Diego closed the match 11-5 to win 3-0 in just 45 minutes.
The title is his second PSA trophy of the season. Only two weeks ago, he made history as the first player from the Americas to win the Egyptian Open, as we told in our article on Diego Elias’s Egyptian Open title.
Diego speaks on court after the final at Brookfield Place.
A Final Between Two Friends
This final was special for another reason. Diego and Leonel are friends on and off the court. In fact, they train together often, and Leonel travels to Toronto to share sessions with Diego.
Even so, they rarely meet on the PSA Squash Tour. Before Toronto, their only Tour match was at the 2024 Qatar Classic. As Diego explained after the final, “we train together all the time.” He also had kind words for his friend. According to Diego, Leonel keeps improving and could break into the world top 10 very soon.
In this video, Diego talks about their friendship and what it means to face Leonel on the Tour:
Toronto, Diego’s Second Home
The setting also made this title special. Diego has been coming to Toronto since he was 13 or 14 years old, and the city has played a big part in his career. As he said after the final, “After Peru, Toronto is my second home.” So, winning a final there, against a close friend, made the moment even more emotional.
Diego Elias with the Smart Centres Canada Cup trophy.
A Rivalry With Lima 2027 in Sight
This is not the first big final between them this year. In August, Diego and Leonel also met in the individual final of the Pan American Championships in Asunción, where Diego took the gold medal.
Now, many in our squash community see Toronto as a possible preview of the men’s singles final at Lima 2027. If they meet again there, the stakes will be even higher: the men’s singles champion will earn a direct place at Los Angeles 2028, subject to Olympic eligibility rules. You can learn more in our article about the Lima 2027 squash schedule.
Diego Elias Adds the Canada Cup to a Huge 2026
The world No.3 is having a great year. With this win, Diego has collected six titles in 2026. Besides the Egyptian Open, they include El Gouna, the PSA Squash Tour Finals, the Pan American Championships and gold at the South American Games in Santa Fe.
Meanwhile, the women’s title in Toronto went to Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir, who beat England’s Georgina Kennedy 3-1 in the final of the Canadian Women’s Open. Next up, the PSA Squash Tour moves to the US Open in Philadelphia, from November 1 to 7. You can follow our players in the PSA rankings and read the full report on the PSA Squash Tour website.
Congratulations, Diego, on another title, and well done, Leonel, on a great week in Toronto! The Americas are proud of you both.
