Of all the great athletes to walk through the doors of Queen's Club, few have swung a racquet more successfully than Nicol David.
David won her first world title in 2005, became world number one
in 2006 and has dominated ever since, never more so than in 2008 when
she remained unbeaten in winning all 10 tournaments she played.
At 5ft 4in and ever smiling, she might not appear on
first meeting to be the cruel type, but David is a relentless and
ruthless character on court and continues to set the pace off it.
Former world number two and, in David's words, "squash
legend" Liz Irving takes coaching duties, while numerous physical
trainers and physios and a sports psychologist help out both at her base
in Amsterdam and around the world.
I think Nicol is the biggest star in the sport, hands down. No-one
can rival what she's got in Malaysia - you come in from the airport and
there are huge billboards with her on them. She's the only squash player
like that really. She's won seven world titles and I just marvel at her
ability to stay so humble and never show any sign that her motivation
is weakening. She just strives to get better and better and better, and
there's never any hint of something for the other girls to see as a
chink in the armour. There isn't one shot, it's just sustained pressure
and she moves so gracefully. The main thing about Nicol for me is the
hunger that she has to still do it."
Nick Matthew, two-time world champion
