New Zealand squash star Joelle King came to the Gold Coast to take home a gold medal, and she's done exactly that.

Photo: Photosport

King beat England's Sarah-Jane Perry in five games,16-14, 11-8, 6-11, 11-13, 11-8.

"I came here and I wanted to win gold," she said. "To be honest I'm just really proud of the fact that I left it all out there today."

"Even if I'd lost I gave absolutely everything."

King suffered an achilles rupture - a potentially career ending injury - three years ago, and was out of the game for nine months.

She said the level of play was much higher when she came back than it was before her injury.

"The game had moved on, players had improved. That's a battle in itself to realise, I had to not only come back to where it was, I actually had to be better.

"It's taken a few years of learning, listening, opening myself up to new adventures, a new coach, a new base ... it makes that all worthwhile."

She credited the New Zealand supporters who came out to support her on the Gold Coast.

"It's something that's so much bigger than just yourself."

"It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of tears, a lot of pain. But getting up on that podium with a gold medal was pretty special."

King already has a Commonwealth gold medal in women's doubles, and a silver in mixed doubles, but she's the first New Zealander to win gold in singles squash. That was something that surprised her.

"We have such a rich history of squash, and especially women's squash. We've always been really strong. So another thing to be proud of, leading that little piece of history for squash.

"It's something I'm guessing in years to come I'll look back and be pretty proud of."

There would be little time for celebration quite yet, however, with King returning to the court on Tuesday morning for women's doubles with Amanda Landers-Murphy. She was expecting to be sent to bed with a hot chocolate.

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2018

Her teammate in this Games' mixed doubles, Paul Coll, won the men's singles silver medal, losing to England's James Willstrop.

Coll said he couldn't get into his own game.

"It's disappointing. I think I had a bit more to give today. It wasn't my best match, but at the same time he didn't let me play my best match."

"All I can say is well done to him, and well done to Joelle."

King will be back on court for the women's doubles at 1.45pm New Zealand time. Coll will compete in the men's doubles with Campbell Grayson at 9.30pm, and they play mixed doubles together at 3.15pm.