Nick Matthew facts for kids
Nick Matthew at the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships
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| Full name | Nicholas Matthew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | “The Wolf” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  England United Kingdom |
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| Residence | Sheffield, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 July 1980 Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned Pro | 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right Handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | David Pearson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Dunlop Force Evolution 120 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (June 2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final(s) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2010, 2011, 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nicholas Matthew is a famous former professional squash player from England. He was born on July 25, 1980, in Sheffield. Nick is known for winning two of the biggest squash tournaments, the British Open and the World Open, three times each!
In June 2010, he became the number one squash player in the world. His home club in Sheffield even named a special court after him, called 'The Nick Matthew Showcourt'. Nick married Esme Taylor, a sports physiologist, in 2013. They welcomed their daughter, Charlotte Rose, in September 2014.
Contents
Nick Matthew's Amazing Squash Career
How Nick Started in Squash
Nick Matthew went to High Storrs School. He first got noticed as a super talented young squash player. In 1999, he won the British Junior Open for players under 19. He also reached the semi-finals at the 1998 World Junior Championships. Nick was part of the England team that won the world junior team title in 1998. He started playing professionally in 1998.
Winning the British Open and US Open
In 2006, Nick Matthew made history. He became the first English player since 1939 to win the men's British Open title. In the final, he played against Thierry Lincou from France. Nick was losing 0–4 in the last game but made an amazing comeback to win!
A year later, in 2007, Nick won the US Open title. He beat James Willstrop in the final with a clear win of 11–7, 11–4, 11–7.
National and Team Success
Nick also won the British National Championship in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, he had a very close match against Lee Beachill, winning 12–10 in the final game. In 2009, he beat Adrian Grant easily with scores of 11–4, 11–3, 11–9.
He was a key player for the England team. They won the World Team Squash Championships in both 2005 and 2007.
Reaching World Number One
In 2009, Nick Matthew's ranking went way up to world No. 4. He won the Qatar Classic Open title in November that year. He also had a tough 5-game match against Ramy Ashour in the Saudi International Open final.
In June 2010, Nick Matthew finally reached the top! He became the world's number one squash player for the very first time.
Commonwealth Games Gold
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Nick won a gold medal. He beat his fellow English player, James Willstrop, in the men's singles final. The match lasted 66 minutes, and Nick won 11–6, 11–7, 11–7.
Becoming a World Champion
In December 2010, Nick Matthew won the World Open Squash Men's Title. This was a huge moment! He was the first Englishman in 35 years to win this top championship. He beat James Willstrop in the final in Saudi Arabia.
He won the PSA 2011 World Open too. This time, he defeated Grégory Gaultier from France in a long 92-minute match. Even after dealing with an injury in late 2011, Nick came back strong. He beat James Willstrop again and got his world number one spot back.
In May 2012, he won his third British Open title. This made him the first English player to win it three times in the modern era.
Nick won his third PSA 2013 World Open in November 2013. He beat Grégory Gaultier in an exciting 111-minute final in Manchester, England. This win put him in a special group of players who have won three world titles.
More Wins and Commonwealth Glory
In February 2014, Nick won his sixth British National title. He beat James Willstrop in the final. He then beat Willstrop again to win his fourth Canary Wharf Classic title.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games brought more success, even though Nick had a knee injury. He was chosen to carry the flag for Team England at the opening ceremony in Glasgow.
In the competition, Nick won a gold medal in singles. He had a tough match against James Willstrop, winning 11–9, 8–11, 11–5, 6–11, 11–5. He also won a silver medal in men's doubles with Adrian Grant.
Continued Success and Challenges
2015 was another great year for Nick. He won three PSA World Tour titles in a row. This included his fifth Canary Wharf Classic trophy, which was a new record!
Nick continued to do well in 2016, even with some injuries and illnesses. He won a record eighth title at the British National championships in Manchester. He beat James Willstrop again, only losing one game all week.
On the PSA World Tour, he reached three big finals but finished as runner-up to Mohamed El Shorbagy. These included the J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions, the Windy City Open, and the Delaware Investments US Open.
Nick Matthew Off the Court
Helping Future Squash Stars
In February 2016, Nick Matthew started the Nick Matthew Academy in Sheffield. This academy helps coach and train the next generation of English squash players. It aims to guide children from being beginners to becoming top players.
Community Work
Nick is also a patron for the Sheffield Children's Hospital since 2014. This means he supports the hospital and helps raise awareness for their work. In November 2016, he was named an Athlete Ambassador for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
World Open Final Appearances
Nick Matthew won the World Open three times.
| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2010 | Saudi Arabia |  James Willstrop |
7–11, 11–6, 11–2, 11–3 |
| Winner | 2011 | Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Grégory Gaultier |
6–11, 11–9, 11–6, 11–5 |
| Winner | 2013 | Manchester, England | Grégory Gaultier |
11–9, 11–9, 11–13, 7–11, 11–2 |
Major Tournament Final Appearances
British Open: 5 Finals (3 Wins, 2 Runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2006 | Thierry Lincou |
11–8, 5–11, 11–4, 9–11, 11–6 |
| Winner | 2009 | James Willstrop |
8–11, 11–8, 7–11, 11–3, 12–10 |
| Winner | 2012 |  Ramy Ashour |
11–9, 11–4, 11–8 |
| Runner-up | 2014 | Grégory Gaultier |
11–3, 11–6, 11–2 |
| Runner-up | 2017 | Grégory Gaultier |
8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 |
Tournament of Champions: 6 Finals (1 Win, 5 Runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2006 | Amr Shabana |
11-6, 11-9, 11-4 |
| Runner-up | 2009 | Grégory Gaultier |
11-9, 2-11, 11-8, 11-4 |
| Runner-up | 2011 | Ramy Ashour |
11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 |
| Winner | 2012 | James Willstrop |
8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 |
| Runner-up | 2015 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 |
| Runner-up | 2016 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 |
US Open: 4 Finals (1 Win, 3 Runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2007 | James Willstrop |
11–7, 11–4, 11–7 |
| Runner-up | 2011 | Amr Shabana |
11–9, 8–11, 11–2, 11–4 |
| Runner-up | 2013 | Grégory Gaultier |
11–4, 11–5, 11–5 |
| Runner-up | 2016 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
10-12, 12-14, 11-1, 11-4, 3-0 rtd |
See also
- Official Men's Squash World Ranking
