For those of us who have never pursued a sport to a professional level – of which there are a great many – it often feels impossible to imagine quite what it is like to compete against the best, to stand before crowds of thousands, or to scale the podium until you are, indisputably, one of the greats.
And, while it may be something we can never quite envisage, that doesn’t keep us from finding a great deal of value as a spectator.
The sporting world is one that many aspire to join, a relatively small few actually manage to enter – and even fewer still find themselves strong and capable enough to shake it up, and, by extension, make history. Those brief, fleeting moments it requires to smash a record, or reach a new personal milestone, create ripples the world beyond the stadium. They have the power to inspire, influence, and, of course, keep the bookies and online betting sites on their toes.
After all, today's tips available from sports guides and bookies are certainly no stranger to a few familiar names and faces – people who hold the power to sway punters and bookmakers in widely different directions, at the drop of a hat.
Some are, of course, names we have been hearing for many years now – while others are relatively new. Regardless of experience level or prestige, however, there are many who look ready to change the face of their chosen sports in 2021. Read more below.
Denis Shapovalov
While some articles focussing on the events that unfolded within Wimbledon’s Center Court this June focus on the crushing defeat Murray was forced to deal with, it is important for us to focus more keenly on the remarkable win achieved (and rightly so) by relative newcomer Denis Shapovalov, who beat the long-reigning champion 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in a midsummer showdown that stunned fans around the world.
Thus, even Murray’s long-term supporters would be hard pushed not to feel some admiration for the tennis star, who no doubt just solidified his status as ‘the one to watch’ in the coming years.
Conor McGregor
As of 2021, Forbes announced that Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor is currently the World’s Highest Paid Athlete, with earnings exceeding $180 million since 2020.
Of course, anyone who follows the UFC double champion will know that, these days, he collects some pretty notable pay cheques from avenues beyond the Octagon, with plenty of business interests keeping him more than comfortable – but, even then, his total worth will be hard to beat, even for the world’s top athletes.
Cristiano Ronaldo
If there was ever a football player who needed no introduction, Cristiano Ronaldo would be that guy. With a remarkable career spanning almost two decades (Ronaldo joined professional football in 2002, and signed with Manchester in 2003) and more records and accolades than he could possibly keep track of, it’s hard to imagine Ronaldo ever finding another way to improve upon things.
Still, Ronaldo is that wild card that keeps on changing the game and, as of the group stages of the EUFA Euro 2021, he earned himself another record. Surpassing Michel Platini, Ronaldo has now scored more goals in European Championships than any other player in history – following his defeat over Hungary this June.
What’s more, he may even be in the running for his first UEFA European Championship Golden Boot, having been beaten by Antoine Griezmann in 2016.
Simone Biles
Anyone who casts even the most cursory glance toward gymnastics at the Olympic Game will no doubt recognise Simone Biles as one of the greatest athletes to appear within this sport. With twenty-five World medals, and nineteen Gold, Biles’ name alone is sufficient to inspire plenty of awe and excitement from the crowd.
Now, as we near the Tokyo Olympic Games, Bile’s greatest challenge lies before her. If she wins the Olympic all-round title, then she will officially become the oldest woman to win the award in more than half a century – a remarkable feat for one of the most impressive athletes of the 21st century.
Ryan Crouser
Common advice always seems to follow the idea of ‘don’t peak to soon’ and, hopefully for American shot-putter and discus thrower Ryan Crouser, he has headed popular advice.
Anyone who was watching the US Olympic Track and Field Trials earlier this year – organised, of course, in preparation for the Tokyo event, beginning in July – will no doubt remember the moment Crouser smashed the existing shot put record for the rest of their lives. Achieving a distance of 23.37 meters, around 25cm further than the previous record set by Barnes more than 30 years ago.
American track and field enthusiasts will no doubt be glued to the television sets when this 2016 champion takes to the field.
Mark Cavendish
At the start of 2020, Deceuninck–Quick-Step sprinter Mark Cavendish saw in the year with 30 stage wins from past Tour de France races under his belt – and no real intentions to participate in the 2021 race. But, as fate would have it, Cavendish found himself at the Grand Départ on Saturday 26th June – taking the place of his teammates Jakobsen and Bennett, following injuries that left them unable to ride.
And, it seems, fate has plenty planned for Cavendish – not to mention his incredible strength, which has returned for the 2021 Tour de France with great aplomb – who is currently on-track to achieve the record for most Tour stage wins of all time.
Winning this record would see him surpass the legendary Eddy Merckx in the history books. Already, he has achieved two stage wins – bringing his total up to 32 – and bringing him just three wins away from surpassing Merckx’s record of 34.
Lewis Hamilton
While he may have seen it coming, all signs point to 2021 acting as something of a curve ball to Hamilton who, as of the start of the racing season, has consistently missed out on poll – and his usual winning streak – to Red Bull’s Verstappen. Points of frustration have been plain to see in those who have tuned in to watch the past nine races – of which Hamilton (and Mercedes) has won only 3.
Still, that’s not to say that the fairy-tale is unravelling for Hamilton. Just this week, the champion driver signed a new two year extension with Mercedes, worth a mind-blowing £80m. If he can turn his luck around over the course of the next fourteen Grand Prix races, he is on track to win his eighth world title – and beat Michel Schumacher’s hallowed record as the world’s greatest F1 driver in history. No mean feat, but one that Hamilton has proven himself capable of tackling over the years.
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