Ten young sporting stars to look out for over 2023

Funmi Fadoju

Fast-rising Fadoju is at the forefront of a new wave of England netball stars. Named as a reserve for the Commonwealth Games in the summer, Fadoju subsequently starred in series against Uganda and Australia, and will play an integral role in her country's 2023 World Cup bid.

Richard Mansell

The 27-year-old Mansell enjoyed by far the best season of his golf career in 2022, missing just five cuts in 25 starts and qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai for the first time, recording four top-10 finishes in the process.

Rehan Ahmed

The 18-year-old Leicestershire leg-spinner became England's youngest ever men's Test cricketer on the recent tour of Pakistan and made an instant impression. Equally adept with red and white ball, and with a Championship century already on his CV, Ahmed is well-placed to continue to make waves next summer.

Morgan Gannon

The 19-year-old Gannon has made a meteoric rise since making his Leeds Rhinos debut in 2021 and his progress is set to continue under coach Rohan Smith. Originally a back-rower, Gannon has been training at stand-off, hinting at even more of an impact in rugby’s Super League in 2023.

Maya Le Tissier

The 20-year-old footballer joined Manchester United from Brighton in the summer and subsequently made her England debut in the 1-1 draw with Norway in Murcia in November. Le Tissier is set to be part of the Lionesses squad for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Henry Arundell

Arundell marked his Rugby Union international emergence by scoring a stunning solo try in the first Test against Australia in July. The London Irish wing sensation is recovering from a foot injury but is set to be central to the thinking of Eddie Jones' Twickenham replacement.

Jack Draper

Draper has continued to progress since his stunning arrival in the tennis big time in 2021, when he reached the quarter-finals at Queen's Club then took a set off Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Currently a career-high 42, Draper also reached the NextGen semi-finals in October.

Joe O'Connor

O'Connor's first snooker ranking final appearance at the Scottish Open in December may have ended in a crushing 9-2 defeat to Gary Wilson, but the Leicester 27-year-old earned gushing praise from Ronnie O'Sullivan and looks best placed among the sport's few under-30s to make an impression.

Keely Hodgkinson

After clinching a trio of high-profile silver medals including world and Olympic silvers behind the brilliant Athing Mu, the 20-year-old 800-metre star is looking to ascend to the top step of the podium in 2023, culminating in the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Caroline Dubois

Since turning professional in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics, Dubois - sister of heavyweight contender Daniel - has wasted no time, racking up four wins and already starting to call out boxing’s Irish superstar Katie Taylor. The 21-year-old is set to accelerate further through 2023.

YEAR IN NUMBERS

110 – time in minutes of Chloe Kelly’s winning goal as England secured their first major women’s international football title at the European Championship.378 – total chased by England to win the fifth Test against India and draw the series. It was England’s highest successful chase and the eighth-highest target ever chased in Tests.1 – Ireland ended the year as the top-ranked side in men’s international rugby union, winning nine of their 11 Tests, including two against New Zealand.2 – Rory McIlroy became only the second player to win the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour’s Harry Vardon Trophy in the same year, following Henrik Stenson in 2013.7 – Ronnie O’Sullivan won a record-equalling seventh snooker World Championship.19 – Carlos Alcaraz became the ATP Tour’s youngest year-end world number one and the first teenager to achieve the accolade.15 – race wins for Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, a record for a single season.