On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, English golfer Josh Hill made history.
Hill won the Al Ain Open in Dubai with a 62-stroke final. He was 15 years, six months and 27 days old. This makes him the youngest golfer to ever win a professional tournament sanctioned by the Official World Golf Rankings.
When people say “age is just a number,” they usually refer to athletes who are in their late thirties and early forties who are still performing at a high level. Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and Bartolo Colón are some recent examples.
But what if it goes the other way? What if age is just as arbitrary on one end of the spectrum as the other?
Below is a list of 20 of the best athletes in the world who turn 20 in 2020.
The only qualification for this list is that each athlete had to be born in the 21st century. They can play at any level of competition, but must be either a top amateur or an up-and-coming professional.
Honorable Mention
Julio Rodrigues (MiLB), Kayvon Thibodeaux (NCAA FB), Mason Greenwood (English Premier League), Josh Hill (golf), Jannik Sinner (Tennis), Ville Heinola (NHL)
Soccer
Jun Endo, b. May 24, 2000 – JWFL
Jun Endo is one of the best amateur soccer players in Japan’s history, and she has already made a mark for her national team in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Endo played in three games and notched one assist, helping Japan advance to the round of 16.
Before the World Cup, she helped Japan win the trophy at the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup. Endo has five goals in 10 matches between the U-17 and U-20 tournaments, helping her win a place on the national roster for the 2019 Women’s World Cup as a 19-year-old.
She currently plays club soccer for Nippon TV Beleza of the Nadeshiko League.
Ellie Carpenter, b. April 28, 2000 – NWSL
Ellie Carpenter has been setting records ever since she made her first professional appearance in Australian soccer at age 15. She made her debut for the Western Sydney Wanderers before signing with the Portland Thorns in the NWSL in 2018. She was the youngest player to ever play in the league, and later became the youngest player to ever score a goal.
Also a historical player for Australia’s national team, Carpenter became the first player born in the 2000s to represent Australia in soccer. She was also the youngest soccer player to ever play in the Olympics, earning both feats at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Carpenter played in all four of Australia’s games in the 2019 Women’s World Cup and tallied one assist.
Vinícius Juníor, b. July 12, 2000 – La Liga
Only a few weeks after making his debut in Brazil, Vinícius Juniíor transferred to Real Madrid for $50 million at the ripe age of 16. This made him the second most expensive Brazilian player ever, following Neymar.
In the 2018-2019 season, Vinícius made 31 total appearances for the prestigious Spanish club, scoring four goals between La Liga play and the UEFA Champions League. This season, he has already scored a goal in only nine appearances with the club.
Jadon Sancho, b. March 25, 2000 – Bundesliga
When Jadon Sancho transferred to Borussia Dortmund as a 17-year-old, he was immediately inserted into the first team. He’s been breaking records ever since.
Not only is he the first English player to ever suit up for Borussia Dortmund, but he is also the youngest player to ever score ten goals in a Bundesliga season. He was named to the 2018-2019 Bundesliga Team of the Season at only 18 years of age.
The youngster has already made 66 appearances with the club, scoring 18 goals in the process. He also has seven appearances and two goals for England in 2019.
Basketball
James Wiseman, b. March 31, 2001 – NCAA BB
After Zion Williamson took the college basketball scene by storm, he left some large shoes to fill. The 7’1″ James Wiseman might be the one to fill them.
Before college basketball has even started, some are already projecting Wiseman to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. In high school, Wiseman averaged 25.8 points and 14.8 rebounds a game on his way to winning Gatorade National Player of the Year.
Wiseman will grace the floors of the University of Memphis in the 2019-2020 season. The only thing to stop him from going to the NBA next season will be (God forbid) a pretty bad injury.
RJ Barrett, b. June 14, 2000 – NBA
A teammate of Zion Williamson’s at Duke, RJ Barrett was drafted third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft–just two spots behind Williamson.
While playing in Williamson’s shadow at Duke, Barrett was actually the top high school recruit in the 2018 class. He was the first high school player since LeBron James to sweep all major high school awards and win the national championship.
Barrett would share history with LeBron once again, becoming the second youngest player behind LeBron to score more than 20 points in his NBA debut.
Zion Williamson, b. July 6, 2000 – NBA
At almost every level he has played, Zion Williamson has looked like a man among boys. Even in the NCAA, which is filled with near NBA-ready talent, he looked special. There was even a “Zion cam” created just so fans could watch a broadcast focused on him for the entire game.
While he wasn’t the top high school recruit in the 2018 class, he was certainly a big name coming out of high school. He committed to the Duke Blue Devils, and averaged 30 minutes (out of 40), 22 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. That was enough to make him the clear first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA draft.
Unfortunately, the NBA will have to wait for him, as a meniscus injury will postpone his debut.
Tennis
Bianca Andreescu, b. June 16, 2000 – Tennis
Bianca Andreescu made history in 2019, becoming both the first Canadian to win the U.S. Open, and the first player born in the 2000s to win a major tournament.
Andreescu’s résumé speaks for itself, having already cemented herself as one of the best Canadian tennis players of all time. She defeated Serena Williams on her way to the U.S. Open title, and is currently ranked at number four.
Amanda Anisimova, b. August 31, 2001 – Tennis
There must be something in the water in north New Jersey, as Amanda Anisimova was born only 13 miles away from the birthplace of Laurie Hernandez, who also appears on this list. Currently sitting at number 23 in the world rankings, she won her first professional in April 2019 at the Copa Colsanitas.
Anisimova has already spent a year in the top 100, and has already made two grand slam semifinals. She made the semis in the Australian Open and the French open, and defeated two of the top 11 players in the world in doing so.
Felix Auger Aliassime, b. August 8, 2000 – Tennis
The current number 18 player in the world, Felix Auger Aliassime is the youngest player ranked in the Top 100.
The Canadian became the youngest ever ATP Top-500 finalist, and has played in two other ATP finals. He also has a Top 10 win under his belt, having taken down Stefano Tsitsipas, who is currently number seven.
Coco Gauff, b. March 13, 2004 – Tennis
The 15-year old tennis player has become a bit of a phenomenon as she exploded onto the scene in early 2019. Coco Gauff had been winning junior tournaments already, but turned heads when she became the youngest player in Wimbledon history. She proved it wasn’t a fluke, and defeated Venus Williams in the first round.
The American teenager won her first WTA tournament in October 2019, beating three top 10 players, including the first seed, on her way to a title at Linz. She is now ranked at number 69 in the world, but is clearly on her way up.
Ice Hockey
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, b. July 6, 2000 – NHL
The Finnish phenom took over Liiga, Finland’s top hockey league, as a 17-year-old. He was quickly drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2018. After making his debut in the season opener, he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in any of the major North American sports leagues.
Kotkaniemi appeared in 79 games as a rookie and scored 34 points. He already has two assists and one goal in 10 games in the 2019-20 season.
Jack Hughes, b. May 14, 2001 – NHL
Spending time between the Greater Ontario Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the U.S. National Team Development Program, Jack Hughes had been putting up 110+ points every season as an amateur. In 2018-2019, he scored 190 points, which broke the NTDP single-season record.
Hughes was drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Draft, and soon became the third-youngest player in league history to record a point. On the international stage, he was voted best forward in the 2018 IIHF U-18 World Championships. He was later promoted to senior, and became the youngest player to represent Team USA in a IIHF World Championship at age 17.
Kaapo Kakko, b. 13 February, 2001 – NHL
Kaapo Kakko was drafted second overall in the 2019 NHL draft by the New York Rangers, only one spot behind Jack Hughes. Kaapo began playing hockey for Finland’s Liiga, scoring 38 points in 45 appearances in the 2018-2019 season. He also recorded five points in five playoff appearances.
Kakko made history when he became the youngest player to win all three IIHF World Championships. He scored 15 points in 14 games as a junior for Finland, and seven points in 10 games as a senior, winning gold in every tournament in which he played.
Baseball
Wander Franco, b. March 1, 2001 – MiLB
The top ranked minor league baseball player in the world, according to MLB.com, will be going into his third professional season fresh off his 19th birthday. The Dominican infielder is slight in stature (5’10”, 189 lbs), but Wander Franco has plenty of pop in his bat.
Franco is a career .360 batter in 175 in the lower levels of the minor leagues, along with 20 home runs and 110 RBI. The Tampa Bay Rays prospect is still a few years away from The Show, but he has a lot of potential.
Elvis Luciano, b. February 15, 2000 – MLB
When the Toronto Blue Jays promoted Elvis Luciano, they added one of the best top prospects in baseball. The Dominican pitcher played sparingly at the major league level, only going 33.2 innings, while striking out 27 and earning one win.
The 19-year-old was promoted pretty much straight from rookie ball, which is about the lowest level of the minor leagues. He’s played for six teams in three seasons, and been traded to three different organizations. His numbers don’t pop off the stat sheet because of all of these factors, but Toronto baseball fans are glad that he is a member of their Blue Jays.
Other
Atthaya Thitikul, b. February 20, 2003 – Golf
Atthaya Thitikul finished as a runner up in the Thai Amateur Open when she was only 13 years old, and has been winning tournaments ever since. She became the youngest golfer to win a professional tournament–men’s or ladies’–when she won the Ladies’ European Thailand Championship at age 14.
Thitikul now has 16 amateur wins under her belt and two professional wins at only 16 years old. She is currently the world’s top rated amateur.
Laurie Hernandez, b. June 9, 2000 – gymnastics
Laurie Hernandez is not yet 20 years old, and she’s already gearing up for her second round of Olympic medals. One of the United States’ youngest gymnasts in the famed group that won gold in the 2016 Olympics, she also took home the silver medal in the balance beam.
She’s taken some time off to pursue some other interests, but plans to return to the sport in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which will be shortly after her 20th birthday.
Chloe Kim, b. April 23, 2000 – snowboarding
American snowboarder Chloe Kim quickly became a national hero when she not only won a gold medal in halfpipe snowboarding in the 2018 Winter Olympics, but she became the youngest woman to ever do it (17 years old). Jokes began circulating about her wearing her gold medal to her high school prom later that year.
Kim has been winning medals since she was 14, winning two golds and a silver in the X Games super pipe event before she was even old enough to qualify for the Olympics. She also became the first person to ever win back-to-back gold before the age of 16, and is the first person to score a perfect 100 since Shaun White in 2012.
Bo Nix, b. February 25, 2000 – NCAA FB
Bo Nix was born to play football. The son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, Bo came in and led his own Auburn Tigers to a come from behind win against the highly touted Oregon Ducks in his first game under center.
As a high school prospect, he won just about every award imaginable for football players in the state of Alabama, and nearly won USA Today Player of the Year. At Auburn, he piled up 1,301 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through his first seven games for the ninth-ranked Tigers.