Nicol David is the greatest women’s player in the history of squash. She was No.1 in the world for a record-breaking 108 months until September 2015, and won the World Open a record eight times between 2005 and 2014. 

She also won the British Open five times and two Commonwealth Games gold medals. A huge star in her home country of Malaysia, she became a Laureus Ambassador in 2014 and a Laureus Academy Member in 2021.

Nicol was the dominant player in women’s squash for more than a decade and the first Asian woman to reach No.1 in the world rankings. She was named World Player of the Year on seven occasions between 2005 and 2012.

Nicol began playing squash when she was five years old and received coaching at the age of eight. Her squash career began in earnest in 1992 when she won a silver medal in the Under-14 category of the Penang State Junior Championship. She won the world junior title twice before turning professional in 2000. She eventually retired in June 2019.

The remarkable levels of fitness and stamina were hallmarks of her game, coupled with a sound technique and game sense. 
Although squash is not an Olympic sport, as a mark of her stature, she was invited to carry the Olympic torch for Malaysia during the build up to the Athens Olympics in 2004. She is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.