{{Short description|Scottish squash player (born 1973)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox squash player | name = Peter Nicol <br /> <small>MBE</small> | image = | image_size = | caption = | nickname = The Boss | country = {{ENG}}<br />{{SCO}} (until March 2001) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1973|4|5}} | birth_place = Inverurie, Scotland | height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = | turnedpro = 1994 | retired = 2006 | plays = Left handed | coach = Neil Harvey | racquet = Prince | website = | event = Men's singles | highest_ranking = No. 1 | date_of_highest_ranking = February 1998 | titles = 52 | finals = 69 | WorldOpenresult = '''W''' (1999) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's squash }} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition | World Games }} {{MedalGold | 2005 Duisburg | Singles }} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships}} {{MedalBronze | 2002 Antwerp | Singles}} {{MedalBronze | 2005 Hong Kong | Singles}} {{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games }} {{MedalGold | 2002 Manchester | Doubles }} {{MedalGold | 2006 Melbourne | Singles }} {{MedalGold | 2006 Melbourne | Doubles }} {{MedalSilver | 2002 Manchester | Singles }} {{MedalCountry | {{SCO}} }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships}} {{MedalGold | 1999 Giza | Singles}} {{MedalSilver | 1997 Petaling Jaya | Singles}} {{MedalSilver | 1998 Doha | Singles}} {{MedalBronze | 1994 Barcelona | Singles}} {{MedalBronze | 1996 Lahore | Singles}} {{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games }} {{MedalGold | 1998 Kuala Lumpur | Singles }} {{MedalBronze | 1998 Kuala Lumpur | Doubles }} | updated = 19 September 2010 }}
'''Peter Nicol''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 5 April 1973) is a former professional squash player from Scotland, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK since Jonah Barrington to hold the World No. 1 ranking. During his career, he won one World Open title, two British Open titles, and four Commonwealth Games gold medals. He is considered to be one of the leading international squash players of his time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/squash/5192012.stm |title=Unknown legend |last=Fordyce |first=Tom |date=19 July 2006 |department=BBC Sport |access-date=26 February 2010}}</ref>
== Biography == Nicol was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. During his career, Nicol was well known for his retrieving game, as well as being a tough competitor. His rivalry with the Canadian player Jonathon Power was amongst the most famous and protracted in the history of squash.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-08-17 |title=G.O.A.T #11: Peter Nicol & Vicki Cardwell |url=https://www.psaworldtour.com/news/g-o-a-t-11-peter-nicol-vicki-cardwell/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=PSA World Tour |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Nicol was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 60 months during his career, including a continuous 24-month stint in 2002–2003.<ref name=":0" />
After finishing runner-up at the World Open in 1997 and 1998, Nicol won the title in 1999, beating Ahmed Barada of Egypt in the final 15–9, 15–13, 15–11. He continued to hold the title of "world champion" through to 2002 as the men's World Open was not held in 2000 or 2001 due to difficulties in securing sponsorship for the event.<ref name=":0" />
After initially representing Scotland in international squash, Nicol switched his representation to England in 2001, claiming that he felt he was not receiving sufficient support from Scottish Squash, the national governing body. Some resented this switch, even going so far as calling it traitorous, suggesting it was rooted in financial gain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0058/print.shtml |title=Peter Nicol defects to England 2001 |last=Mitchell |first=Paul |publisher=BBC |access-date=26 February 2010}}</ref>
Nicol enjoyed considerable success at the Commonwealth Games, where squash became a medal sport in 1998. In 1998, representing Scotland, he won a men's singles Gold Medal (beating Jonathon Power in the final), and a men's doubles Bronze Medal. Nicol represented the 2002 England team<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/20020805/329/0025 |title=Nicol at the double |work=The Scotsman |date=5 August 2002 |page=25 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2026}}</ref> at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. He competed in the singles and doubles, winning the silver medal in the singles and the gold medal in the doubles partnering Lee Beachill.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/bsp/statistics/events/squash_results.stm |title=Statistics |website=BBC Sport |access-date=15 April 2026}}</ref>
In 2006, again representing England, Nicol won another men's singles gold medal (beating Australia's David Palmer in the final), and another men's doubles gold medal (partnering Beachill again).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/court.htm#SQUASH |title=Commonwealth Games medallists - Court and Table Sports |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=15 April 2026}}</ref>
Other career highlights included winning three consecutive Super Series Finals titles (1999–2001), two PSA Masters titles (2000 & 2004), three Tournament of Champions titles (2001 & 2003-4), and two British National Championship titles (1996 & 2003). He also won four consecutive gold medals for the England men's national squash team at the European Squash Team Championships from 2003 to 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://intersportstats.com/competition_types/292 |title=European Team Squash Championships |website=InterSportStats |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/history/100/mens/european-team-championship |title=Men's European Team Championship: Event History (53 events) |website=Squash Info |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref>
== Retirement == In July 2006, Nicol announced that he would be retiring after the 2006 World Open in September.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/squash/5192420.stm |title=Squash star Nicol set to retire |department=BBC Sport |date=18 July 2006 |access-date=15 May 2009}}</ref> Nicol's final match was a loss to Thierry Lincou in the quarter-finals.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/squash/5311044.stm |title=Nicol bows out after Egypt defeat |department=BBC Sport |date=3 September 2006 |access-date=15 May 2009}}</ref>
Nicol turned his focus to promoting the game, providing sponsorship, support and coaching through his rackets company Nicol, and promoting events worldwide through Event is Sports Marketing Ltd. Following a move to the United States, he set up the Nicol Champions Academy in New York and co-founded SquashSkills, an online coaching resource aimed at delivering squash coaching from many of the world's top players.
Peter and his wife Jessica Winstanely now own and operate Nicol Squash club in New York and Nicol Rackets in New Jersey, a 20,000 square foot multi-rackets club that houses 4 padel courts, three squash courts, and one pickleball court, and are continuing to expand in the racket sports space.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wing |first1=John |title=Nicol Squash |url=https://www.nicolsquash.com/ |website=Nicol Squash |publisher=Peter Nicol |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref>
==World Open final appearances== {| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Wins (1)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 1999 || Ahmed Barada || 15–9, 15–13, 15–11 |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Runners-up (2)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 1997 || Rodney Eyles || 15–11, 15–12, 15–12 |- | 1998 || Jonathon Power || 15–17, 15–7, 15–9, 15–10 |}
== British Open final appearances ==
{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Wins (2)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 1998 || Jansher Khan || 17–16, 15–4, 15–5 |- | 2002 || John White || 15–9, 15–8, 15–8 |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Runners-up (3)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 1997 || Jansher Khan || 17–15, 9–15, 15–12, 8–15, 15–8 |- | 1999 || Jonathon Power || 15–17, 15–12 ''(retired)'' |- | 2003 || David Palmer || 15–13, 15–13, 15–8 |}
== Commonwealth Games final appearances ==
{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Wins (2)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 1998 || Jonathon Power || 3–9, 9–2, 9–1, 2–9, 9–2 |- | 2006 || David Palmer || 9–5, 10–8, 4–9, 9–2 |- bgcolor="#c7dcf6" | colspan="3" | '''Runners-up (1)''' |- bgcolor="#efefef" | '''Year''' | '''Opponent in final''' | '''Score in final''' |- | 2002 || Jonathon Power || 9–4, 4–9, 9–3, 9–0 |} Nicol also won men's doubles Gold Medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006 (partnering Lee Beachill on both occasions).
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130710045426/http://www.psaworldtour.com/page/PlayerProfile/0,,13121~119,00.html |title=Peter Nicol – PSA World Tour profile}} * {{Squash Info|1}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061103013214/http://www.squashpics.com/peter_nicol.htm Page at Squashpics.com] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051202221305/http://www.squashtalk.com/html/news/globalgallery30.htm Article regarding Nicol's switch from Scotland to England]}} * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312190050/http://www.squashtalk.com/html/news/july06/news06-7-434.htm Article on the announcement of Nicol's retirement]}} * [http://www.squashsite.co.uk/peter_nicol_retirement.htm Article on Nicol's retirement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924122945/http://www.squashsite.co.uk/peter_nicol_retirement.htm |date=24 September 2015 }} * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/squash/5192012.stm BBC article on the announcement of Nicol's retirement]
{{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box | before = Jansher Khan<br />Jonathon Power<br />Jonathon Power<br />Jonathon Power<br />David Palmer<br />John White | after = Jonathon Power<br />Jonathon Power<br />Jonathon Power<br />David Palmer<br />Thierry Lincou <br />Lee Beachill | title = World No. 1 | years = February 1998 – April 1999<br />October 1999<br />February 2000 – March 2001<br />August 1999<br />January 2002 – December 2003<br />May 2004 – September 2004 }} {{s-end}}
{{Squash World Number Ones (men)}} {{British Open squash men's singles champions}} {{Squash World Open men's champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, Peter}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:English male squash players Category:Scottish male squash players Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in squash Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in squash Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in squash Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Scotland Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Scotland Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Squash players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Squash players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Squash players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:World Games gold medalists for Great Britain Category:People from Inverurie Category:Anglo-Scots Category:Sportspeople from Aberdeenshire Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Medalists at the 2005 World Games Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:Squash coaches