After Luke Littler became the youngest world champion in darts history at the age of 17, we take a look at some of the world’s most successful teenage stars.
Boris Becker (tennis)
Like Littler, Baker won arguably the most prestigious competition in his sport at the age of 17, winning at Wimbledon in 1985 and becoming the youngest ever men’s singles champion at the All England Club.
The German successfully defended her title a year later and then won it again in 1989, finishing her career with six Grand Slam titles following success at the Australian Open in 1991 and 1996 and the US Open in 1989.
Baker also became world No. 1 in 1991.
Sky Brown (skateboarding)
Brown became Great Britain’s youngest Olympian and medalist when she won a bronze medal in the women’s park skateboarding event at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Despite failing in his first two attempts, he finished third on the podium at the age of only 13 years and 28 days. She then won another Olympic bronze medal at the age of 16 in Paris in 2024.
Brown also won the X Games and Park events at the 2023 World Skateboarding Championships and became the first-ever British Skateboarding World Champion.
Tom Daly (diving)
Daly began diving at the age of seven and began competing at the national and international level at the age of nine. He was Team GB’s youngest Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games at the age of 14, but failed to medal in the 10 meters or synchro events.
That year he won gold at the British and European Championships – and the following year took gold at the World Championships.
Tom Daly was GB’s youngest Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games when he was just 14
He was a so-called ‘poster boy’ for the London 2012 Games, winning a bronze medal in the 10 meters event, but it was not until the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo that he finally achieved his career goal of winning Olympic gold with his partner Matti. Did it. Took.
Katie Ledecky (swimming)
By Ledecky’s late teens, she had five Olympic golds and nine world championship titles.
Having started swimming at the age of six, she made her international debut at the age of 15 at the London 2012 Olympics, when she surprised spectators and coaches by winning gold in the women’s 800 meter freestyle.
Four years later, when she competed at Rio 2016, she won four golds, two silvers and set two world records.
Ledecky, who is just 27, increased her Olympic medal tally to 14 by winning four at the 2024 Paris Games.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky made waves at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15
Wilfred Benitez (boxing)
Wilfred ‘El Radar’ Benitez became the youngest world champion in boxing history by defeating Antonio Cervantes in March 1976 at only 17 years of age.
He turned professional at the age of 15 and was managed by his father Gregorio Benítez. He and his brothers Frankie and Gregory were one of Puerto Rico’s prominent boxing families, achieving their success through New York City.
His 1976 victory saw him claim both the light welterweight and lineal light welterweight titles.
Pelé (football)
Pele won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958 at the age of 17
After a record-breaking career, Pelé was considered one of the greatest players of the 20th century.
At the age of 15, his coach told club directors in his native São Paulo that he would become “the greatest football player in the world”. A year later he was the top scorer in the Brazilian national league, which led to a call up to the national team.
In 1958, at the age of 17, he inspired his country’s World Cup victory by scoring a hat-trick in the semi-finals and two goals in the final.
Wayne Gretzky (ice hockey)
Gretzky debuted for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979/80 season and became the first teenager to score 50 goals in a season. ‘The Great One’ scored the most points in NHL history, with 2,857 points to date.
He is the only NHL player to score more than 200 points in a season, a feat he has accomplished four times.
Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker)
O’Sullivan turned professional in 1992 at the age of 16, playing just 43 minutes in one match during his first season.
A year later he became the youngest ever winner of the UK Snooker Championship at the age of 17, while he also captured the Masters title at the age of 19.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has played snooker in his teens and forties
Rocket has since become the oldest winner of each of the sport’s Triple Crown events, winning the World Championship at the age of 46, the UK Championship at the age of 47, and the Masters at the age of 48.
Due to his aggressive style and emotional outbursts, O’Sullivan is considered one of the greatest snooker players of all time and now holds a record 41 ranking titles, including seven World Championship victories at The Crucible.
That longevity is something Littler will definitely aspire to.
Sachin Tendulkar (cricket)
Tendulkar was encouraged to play cricket at the age of 11 as a means of getting out of trouble at school.
Now regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of the game, he broke the record of being the youngest player to make his debut for India in both Test and One Day International cricket at the age of 16.
He remains the highest run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.
In his late teens, he made history when he was selected to play for Yorkshire. The prestigious club team had never before selected a player from outside the county – let alone England.
Michael Phelps (swimming)
Swimmer Phelps won six Olympic gold medals at the age of 19 at the 2004 Athens Games – the 100 m and 200 m butterfly, the 200 m and 400 m medley, as well as two relays.
The American won eight gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and four more in London 2012, while taking her total to 22 Olympic medals, as well as 26 medals at the World Championships.
