Here Are 9 Sports Stars Who Made This Decade Their Own
We are into the last stretch of the decade that has seen some spectacular and sizzling action from the world of sports. 10 years of great thrills has been made more exciting thanks to definitive and record-breaking performances of many athletes from across the world.
We are into the last stretch of the decade that has seen some spectacular and sizzling action from the world of sports. 10 years of great thrills has been made more exciting thanks to definitive and record-breaking performances of many athletes from across the world.
We have put the names together purely on individual success and accolades, team success, and an intangible sense of influence and command over a sport.
So, let's get to it.
1. Virat Kohli, Cricket
Consistent. Dominant. Enthralling. If you need box office entertainment, you have to watch Indian captain Virat Kohli at work. The player oozes class and reigns supreme, Kohli has been arguably the greatest batsman of the decade. He had a decent World Cup in 2011, and ever since he is a consistent run machine.
The 31-year-old is the fastest man to score 10,000 ODI runs in the history of the game, and in terms of numbers. Here's a simple argument to suggest he¡¯s the greatest ODI batsman ever - he averaged 133.55 runs in one-dayers in 2018 which, quite frankly, is ridiculous. With over 20,000 runs in the decade and more than 70 hundreds, Virat Kohli's stats are a joke. He barely fails in a game, and that is why he is rated so highly and even considered by some to be the greatest batsman of this generation.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Football
One of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has acing it on the pitch. Scoring goals for fun, winning trophies and breaking records, he has been unstoppable. Nowadays, football is more dynamic and athletic than ever. The game has become faster, stronger and more demanding in most aspects of physicality. While Messi might have more talent, Ronaldo¡¯s combination of physical and technical abilities just makes him better. He is 6¡¯¡¯1 of pure Portuguese muscle.
Continuing from where he left in the last decade,Ronaldo has had a more stellar, successful and sublime 2010s. Having won the Ballon d'Or and Champions League on four occasions each, the Juventus and Portuguese ace has been lighting up the football stadiums. He has scored more than 400 goals and averages more than a goal every game. Truly insane. At 34, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong and looks fit as ever to take his prime form into another decade.
3. Simone Biles, Gymnastics
At age 22, the most dominant gymnast ever is on her way to being one of the most dominant American athletes ever. At the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany in October, she won five gold medals - in the team competition, the individual all-around, the vault, the balance beam and floor exercise. That gave her 25 world championship medals to surpass the U.S.S.R.'s Vitaly Scherbo (23) for the most ever.
Simone had a scintillating time at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she won four gold and one bronze medal. It includes one team gold and the rest were all individual prizes. All that the American has won has come in just six years. Having made her debut at the World Championships in 2013, the 22-year old has been absolutely dominant. She has had one of the best decades for an athlete ever. Still young, she is on course to shatter and create records.
4. LeBron James, Basketball
LeBron James' decade-defining achievement was a run of eight straight Finals appearances, with three championships. Along the way, James became the most consistent force in basketball, a 6-foot-8 blend of power and grace, this American is able to bend each game to his will.
Basketball historians will one one day marvel at the fact that James, from 2009-10 to 2019, averaged remarkable 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, a stat line that is unmatched by any other player in that span, yet still undersells James' impact.
5. Serena Williams, Tennis
In this decade alone, Serena has won 12 Grand Slam titles - 3 Australian Open titles, 2 French Open triumphs, 4 Wimbledon championships, and 3 US Open titles.
Her final major win in 2017 was the Australian Open title and it came while she was pregnant with her daughter, Olympia. Talk about being a fighter and winning it all. What a star.
6. Lionel Messi, Football
You just can't keep this man out of the picture when we are talking about greatness. If Ronaldo has been sensational, Messi has been absolutely top notch himself. He is one the most celebrated football players of the modern generation. The Argentine magician has dazzled fans across the world for years now and has scored an astonishing over 500 goals in the current decade.
His ludicrous form in front of goal has helped him win the Ballon d'Or five times during that time. In that time, he has won the Spanish league six times and the Champions league twice.
7. Michael Phelps, Swimming
For the average sports fan, Michael Phelps resurfaced every four years, but no other athlete shined in those spare moments as Phelps did. With a body practically designed for the sport, Phelps dominated the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, racking up an astounding 12 medals, nine of which were gold.
8. Roger Federer, Tennis
Many athletes dominate with force; Roger Federer dominates with his grace. Every serve, return, and movement seems so effortless with Federer, even as he's aged well past the point when many tennis players can compete for titles.
But the ease with which the Swiss champion plays on the court is absolutely remarkable and it has allowed him to stake his claim as the greatest men's tennis player ever: five slams this decade, 42 titles since 2010, and a record 20 slams overall.
9. Usain Bolt, Track and Field
The title of "Fastest Man Alive" is one of the most sought-after title in all of sport, elevating an athlete to something closer to a superhero. For three straight Summer Olympics, Usain Bolt proved to the world that no one could move through space faster, taking home gold in the 100 meters, 200, and 4x100 in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
No one has quite lived up to the name quite like him. The now retired Jamaican carved out a legacy of greatness and is regarded as the best sprinter of all time.