Sweating Blood

You can’t sweat blood. That’s not physically possible. But if you could, world squash champion Nick Matthew would have done it by the bucket-load. Throughout his 15-year career, he has fought his way to the top of the world rankings in this gladiatorial sport, and has been world champion on three occasions. This brutally honest life story is much more than the tale of a squash player, though. • Nick analyses his obsessive-compulsive personality and explains how it helps him win.
• He remembers how, as a late developer, he was constantly told he lacked the talent to succeed yet went on to become the most successful English player of all time.
• He gives us amazing behind-the-scenes access to the sport: the prize money, the anti-doping procedures, the gruesome training, the post-match celebrations, the crazy players on the tour, the far-flung corners of the globe where he competes.
• He remembers the career-threatening shoulder operation that eventually put him on the road to World Championship and Commonwealth Games glory.
• He tries to understand how his relationship with another top British player went so horribly wrong. • He digs back into his Yorkshire upbringing and remembers the colourful characters who turned him into the champion he is today.
• And he pinpoints the most crucial moments in his career – the moments when he really felt like he was sweating blood.