Greatest child sporting prodigies of all time

Martina Hingis

Major Success at Age : 12, Sports: Tennis

• Youngest player to win a Junior Grand Slam title at age 12
• Youngest player to win a senior Grand Slam match at age 14
• Youngest player to win a Grand Slam title (doubles) at age 15
• Youngest player to win a senior, singles Grand Slam title at age 16
• Youngest player to be ranked no.1 in Tennis at age 16.

The stats speak for themselves don’t they? Hingis began playing tennis at the age of 2 and entered her first tournament aged 4. If not for a career threatening ligament injury to both her ankles at the age of 22, Hingis would have went on to rewrite every single record in the history book. Still, with 14 Grand Slam titles she is a great example for a Child Prodigy.

Tiger Woods

Major Success at Age : 9, Sports : Golf

Tiger Woods was meant for greater things. When he was 2, he was involved in a putting contest with Bob Hope in a TV show. When he was 4, he completed the Navy Golf Course in California and when he was 5, he was already featured on the Golf Digest.

He entered the Junior World Golf Championships aged 9 and won the tournament convincingly. He won the U.S Amateur Championships aged 15 and when he turned pro in 1996, top companies including Nike signed him up for jaw-breaking deals. In that very year, he was named as the Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. He won his first major aged 20 and was the fastest to become the World. No 1 in Golf.

In 2000, Tiger Woods broke 9 course records en route to a U.S Open title in what is described as the “greatest performance in Golf History”. He famously won the 2008 U.S Open literally playing with one damaged knee.

Despite the infidelity charges and the fiasco, Tiger Woods is the greatest Child prodigy that the world has ever seen.

Honorable Mentions : Bobby Fischer (Chess), Wayne Gretzky (Ice Hockey) and Ryan Sheckler (Skating).