After Luke Littler became the youngest world champion in darts history at the age of 17, we look at some of the sport's most successful teenage stars.
Boris Becker (tennis)
Like Littler, Baker won his sport's most prestigious event at the age of 17, winning Wimbledon in 1985 and becoming the youngest men's singles champion at the All England Club.
The German player successfully defended his title a year later and then won it again in 1989, before ending his career with six Grand Slam titles after winning the Australian Open in 1991 and 1996 and the US Open in 1989.
Becker also became world No. 1 in 1991.
Skye Brown (skateboarding)
Skateboarder Sky Brown won two Olympic bronze medals for Great Britain as a teenager
Brown became Great Britain's youngest Olympian and medal winner when she claimed bronze in the women's skateboarding event at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Despite falling on her first two attempts, she achieved a third place finish on the podium aged just 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 to become the first British skateboarding world champion.
Tom Daley (diving)
Daly began diving at the age of seven and began competing nationally and internationally at the age of nine. He was the youngest Olympian for Team Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, aged 14, but failed to medal in the 10m or synchro events.
That year he won gold at the British and European Championships – and took gold at the World Championships the following year.
Tom Daley was Britain's youngest Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when he was just 14 years old.
He was called the “poster boy” for the 2012 London Games, where he won bronze in the 10m, but it wasn't until the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo that he finally achieved his career goal of winning Olympic gold with partner Matty. for me.
Katie Ledecky (swimmer)
By the end of Ledecky's adolescence, she had won five Olympic gold medals and nine world championship titles.
She began swimming at the age of six, and 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 and two silvers and held two world records when she competed in Rio 2016 four years later.
Ledecky, who is still only 27 years old, took her Olympic medal tally to 14 when she claimed four medals at the 2024 Paris Games.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky burst onto the scene at the 2012 London Olympics when she was 15 years old
Wilfred Benitez (boxing)
Wilfred “Radar” Benitez became the youngest world champion in boxing history when he beat Antonio Cervantes at just 17 years old in March 1976.
He turned professional at the age of fifteen and was managed by his father, Gregorio Benitez. He and his brothers Frankie and Gregory were from one of Puerto Rico's prominent boxing families, finding their success through New York City.
His 1976 win saw him capture the light welterweight and light welterweight titles.
First (football)
Pele won the World Cup with Brazil when he was 17 years old in 1958
After a record-breaking career, Pelé was considered one of the greatest athletes 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 footballer in the world.” A year later, he became the top scorer in the Brazilian National League, which led to him being called up to the national team.
In 1958, at the age of 17, he led his country to victory in the World Cup by scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final and two goals in the final.
Wayne Gretzky (ice hockey player)
Gretzky made his debut for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979/80 season and became the first teenager to score 50 goals in a single season. The Great One went on to score the most points in NHL history, with 2,857 points to this day.
He is the only NHL player to score more than 200 points in a single season, a feat he has accomplished four times.
Ronnie O'Sullivan (snooker)
O'Sullivan turned professional at the age of 16 in 1992, having won a match in just 43 minutes during his debut season.
A year later, he became the youngest winner of the UK Snooker Championship at 17, while also claiming the Masters title at 19.
Ronnie O'Sullivan starred in snooker as a teenager and well into his 40s
The Rocket has since become the oldest winner of each of the sport's Triple Crown events, winning the World Championship at 46, the UK Championship at 47, and the Masters at 48.
Characterized by his attacking style and emotional intensity, O'Sullivan is considered one of the greatest snooker players of all time, and now owns a record 41 ranking titles, including seven world championship victories at The Crucible.
This longevity is certainly what Letelier aspires to.
Sachin Tendulkar (cricketer)
Tendulkar was encouraged to take up cricket at the age of eleven as a way out of trouble at school.
Now considered one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, he broke records by being the youngest player to make his debut for India in both Test and One Day International cricket at the age of sixteen.
He remains the leading run scorer in Test and ODI cricket.
At the end of his teenage years, he made history when he was selected to play for Yorkshire. The prestigious club has never selected a player from outside the county before – let alone England.
Michael Phelps (swimmer)
Swimmer Phelps won six Olympic gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics when he was 19 years old – the 100m and 200m butterfly, the 200m and 400m medley, as well as two relays.
The American went on to add eight more golds in Beijing in 2008 and four more in London 2012, while winning 22 Olympic medals overall in addition to 26 medals at the World Championships.
