2020 has definitely been a year with ebbs and flows with all sporting events coming to a halt but, as soon as the sporting events resumed with first the German soccer league, Bundesliga, then La Liga, and then English Premier League followed by the UEFA Champions League.
Let’s have a look at those shinning stars:
Cori Gauff – United States
Gauff is undoubtedly the player to watch out for in the women’s game as she has already made a huge impression at Grand Slam level.
She beat the former champion, Venus Williams, and was on her way to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019, which was followed by the progressing to the third round at the US Open.
The 16-year-old star defeated champion, Venus Williams, again at this year’s Australian Open, before tumbling over defending champion Naomi Osaka to make it through to the last 16.
Also, She took the opening set against Sofia Kenin in the fourth round, but the, unfortunately, lost to her.
Iga Swiatek – Poland
The 2018 Wimbledon junior champion, got a quiet transition to the senior team. She entered into the top 100 in the world in 2019 at the of 17 only and also, made it to the fourth round of the French Open, but unfortunately lost to third seed and defending champion Simona Halep.
During the Australian Open 2020, she again reached the fourth round. But her real capability was seen during the Roland – Garros, where she defeated the 2019 runners-up, Marketa Vondrousova in the first round, and the 2014 runners-up in Eugenie Bouchard in the third.
Dayana Yastremska – Ukraine
The Ukrainian star, Yastremska has ascended up into the top 25 of the women’s rankings and also, has already stated that her goal is to win a Grand Slam tournament. She moved forward to the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019 and, also, made it through the third round at both the Australian Open and US Open.
The 19-year-old has won three singles titles on the WTA Tour and collected almost $1.9 million as prize money.
Yastremska has also reached the final of the Adelaide Open earlier this year and looks that she has been destined to be a top 10 player sooner rather than later.
Ansu Fati – FC Barcelona
Very few under-18 players around the world are seen as commanding and talented as Ansu Fati, who is a product of FCB’s La Masia, and by his brilliant performance has impressed everyone and people have already started talking that the youngster could become Lionel Messi’s heir at the Nou Camp.
The fearlessness way of his play and the exuberance of youth has seen him go through all the junior ranks at the club’s La Masia and the Barca B. However, he his turning point in life came after Messi’s injury which allowed him to be considered as a player fit enough to be in the first team. Since his debut, Fati has become the second youngest senior team debutant in Barca’s history, the youngest player to score at the Camp Nou, and, also the youngest Barca player to score and assist in the same game and the youngest ever scorer in the Champions League.
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
One of the biggest positives and a shinning star to watch out for was Arsenal’s midfielder Bukayo Saka, the 19-year old, the briton who became a mainstay for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal’s side on the side of the midfield three.
The youngster’s emergence injected life into an Arsenal’s inconsistent side. Saka is extremely determined, tenacious and relentless, and his express speed down to the left channel with pinpoint crossing skills helped him to score many goals for his side.
Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund
Europe’s golden youngster, Erling Haaland was one of the best signings for Borussia Dortmund in 2020, as the centre-forward moved from Austrian top-division champion RB Salzburg to the Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in January. The Norwegian scored 33 goals which happens to be the fourth-most in Europe’s top five leagues, and also assisted five more in 32 appearances in his first year with the club. Haaland also became the second teenager to score 10 or more goals in a single UEFA Champions League season during the 2019-20 edition. At the end of the year, he was also the winner of the 2020 Golden Boy award as well.
