Dear Nicol, there will never be another like you

COMMENT | On Tuesday evening, Nicol David lost a squash match at the British Open. The world number 18 lost in four sets in the second round to Egyptian Nour El Tayeb.

Nour is one of 7 Egyptian players ranked above Nicol, showing how the paradigm has shifted since she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old who bagged the 1998 Asian Games gold. The match might have been like any other, except it was Nicol’s last match as a professional squash player.

It’s an emotional time for Malaysian sports fans as we will never see another like her. Nicol David was a phenomenon. She has won a record eight World championships, five British Open titles, 81 PSA titles and held the top ranking spot in women’s squash for 109 consecutive months from 2006-2015.

Nicol’s greatness comes in many forms. The simple numbers are astounding. This is someone who didn’t stop at being just good or the best of her era, but who is a genuine contender for being the greatest women’s squash player of all time...