Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
After Luke Littler became the youngest darts world champion at 17, we take a look at some of the most successful teenage stars in the world of sport.
Boris Becker (tennis)
Like Littler, Becker won arguably the most prestigious competition in his sport at the age of 17, triumphing at Wimbledon in 1985 when he became the youngest singles champion at the All England Club.
The German successfully defended his title a year later and then won it again in 1989, before finishing his career with six Grand Slam titles after success at the 1991 and 1996 Australian Opens and the 1989 US Open.
Becker also became world number 1 in 1991.
Sky Brown (skateboarding)
Skateboarder Sky Brown won two Olympic bronze medals for Great Britain as a teenager
Brown became Britain’s youngest Olympian and medalist when she won bronze in the women’s park skateboarding event at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Despite falling in the first two attempts, she won a place on the podium in the third at only 13 years and 28 days. She then took another Olympic bronze in Paris in 2024 at the age of 16.
Brown also won the X Games and the Park event at the 2023 World Skateboarding Championships, becoming the first British Skateboarding World Champion.
Tom Daley (diving)
Daley started diving at the age of seven, and at the age of nine he started competing at the national and international level. He was the youngest Olympian on the British team at the 2008 Beijing Games, aged 14, but failed to secure a medal in the 10m or synchro events.
He won gold at the British and European championships that year – and secured gold at the world championships the following year.
Tom Daley was the youngest British Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games, aged just 14
He was the so-called ‘poster boy’ for the London 2012 Games, winning bronze in the 10m, but it wasn’t until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that he finally achieved his career goal, winning Olympic gold with his partner Matty Lee.
Katie Ledecky (swimming)
By the end of her teenage years, Ledecky had five Olympic golds and nine world championship titles.
Having started swimming at the age of six, she made her international debut at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15 when she surprised spectators and coaches by winning gold in the women’s 800m freestyle.
She won four golds, two silvers and secured two world records when she competed in Rio 2016 four years later.
Ledecky, still only 27, took her Olympic medal tally to 14 when she picked up four at the 2024 Paris Games.
The swimmer Katie Ledecky appeared at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 at the age of 15
Wilfred Benitez (boxing)
Wilfred ‘El Radar’ Benitez became the youngest world champion in boxing history when he defeated Antonio Cervantes in March 1976 at the age of 17.
He turned professional at the age of 15 and was coached by his father, Gregorio Benitez. He and his brothers Frankie and Gregory were from one of Puerto Rico’s prominent boxing families, and they achieved success through New York.
His victory in 1976 gave him the welterweight and lineal welterweight titles.
First (soccer)
Pele won the World Cup with Brazil at the age of 17 in 1958
After a record-breaking career, Pele was considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
At the age of 15, his coach told club directors in his native Sao Paolo that he would become “the greatest footballer in the world”. A year later he was the top scorer in the Brazilian national league, which led to a call-up from the national team.
At the age of 17 in 1958, he inspired his country to win the World Cup with 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, and his number of 2,857 stands to this day.
He is the only NHL player with a total of more than 200 points in one season, which he accomplished four times.
Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker)
O’Sullivan turned professional at the age of 16 in 1992, after winning a match in just 43 minutes during his debut season.
A year later, he became the youngest winner of the UK Snooker Championship at the age of 17, while also securing the Masters title at the age of 19.
Ronnie O’Sullivan starred in snooker as a teenager and into his forties
Rocket has since become the oldest winner of any sporting Triple Crown, winning the World Championship at 46, the UK Championship at 47 and the Masters at 48.
Characterized by his attacking style and emotional outbursts, O’Sullivan is regarded as 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 certainly strive for.
Sachin Tendulkar (cricket)
At the age of 11, Tendulkar was encouraged to start playing cricket to get out of trouble at school.
Now regarded as one of the greatest batsmen the sport has seen, he broke records as the youngest player to debut for India at the age of 16 in both Test and One Day International cricket.
He continues to be the highest run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.
Towards the end of his teenage years he made history when he was selected to play for Yorkshire. The prestigious club side has never before selected a player from outside the country – let alone England.
Michael Phelps (swimming)
Swimmer Phelps won six Olympic gold medals at the 2004 Athens Games as a 19-year-old – in the 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m medley, as well as two relays.
The American added eight more golds in Beijing 2008 and four more in London 2012, while winning a total of 22 Olympic medals, as well as 26 at the World Championships.
