Here’s our list of ‘must-watch’ athletes in the year to come.
COVID shut down most of the sports world in 2020, which means 2021 will be a year of triumphant return. No doubt the Summer Olympics will be the highlight of the year, as will the return of the NCAA basketball championship and fan attendance at pro games.
With that in mind, we think a few athletes will steal headlines in 2021. Without question, our picks are primed to accomplish great things.
While there’s a global theme to our selections, we couldn’t look past the significance of American football. With NFL betting sites predicting potentially exciting match-ups for the Super Bowl, expect football to be a big story in 2021.
So here are the top-five must-watch athletes of 2021.
Naomi Osaka (Tennis)
Naomi Osaka (photo by pmenzel86 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Japan’s own tennis phenom will be front-and-center in 2021–especially with her homeland hosting the Summer Olympics. Osaka will not only be representing Japan in hopes of winning its first gold medal in tennis. She’ll also be the torch-bearer.
Osaka’s role goes beyond country and sport. She has become a face for positive change and social reform—the three-time Grand Slam champion advocates for better treatment of African-Americans and ethnic minorities amidst racial injustices.
Named as one of Time’s 100 most influential people globally for 2019 and 2020, Osaka’s star has just started to grow.
With the 2021 Summer Olympics next up, expect Osaka to become even more popular than she is today.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA)
All eyes are on–and will be on–Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. There’s suspense, too. The back-to-back MBA MVP has yet to break the news about whether he’ll return to Milwaukee or end up with another team pending his contract’s expiration.
But, personally, Antetokounmpo has work to do. He hasn’t won an NBA championship yet, falling short the past few seasons. Still, just having turned 26 years of age, Antetokounmpo has plenty of room to grow.
Despite already dominating, Antetokounmpo can make improvements, particularly to his offensive game.
Whether the “Greek Freek” re-signs with Milwaukee or signs a massive deal to go elsewhere, expect Giannis to be a focal point of the 2020-21 NBA season.
Stephanie Gilmore (Surfing)
The greatest female surfer will make a big splash (again) when surfing becomes an official Olympic sport in 2021. Gilmore will represent Australia as she looks to add Olympic Gold to her seven world titles.
Nicknamed “Happy Gilmore,” the 32-year-old began surfing as a 10-year-old and became a pro at 17.
Her first world title came soon thereafter.
Gilmore became synonymous with surfing, a sport she dominated from 2010-2014. Following injuries in 2015 and 2016, she returned with a vengeance and re-captured the world title in 2018.
A victory in the 2021 Olympics would be the crown jewel of ‘Happy’s’ illustrious career.
Trevor Lawrence (NCAA/NFL)
“U.S. Army Player of the Year Award” by GoArmy is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
The next big thing in American football has battled the COVID-19 virus amidst college game cancellations. But make no mistake about it: that hasn’t hurt his stock one bit. I’m talking about Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
The football prodigy has been hyped-up dating back to his freshman year. And, now, he’s just a few months away from entering the NFL. And the Big Apple, in particular, is excited!
“Tank for Trevor” has become the motto among Jets’ fans. Despite the Jets’ organizational dysfunction, a generational talent like Lawrence–a legitimate superstar–could turn around a franchise that hungers to win.
And Lawrence has the tools to do just that. Standing 6’6,” he boasts elite quarterback tools with a powerful and precise arm, mobility, and athleticism.
2021 will mark the start of “The Lawrence Era” in the NFL.
Conor McGregor (UFC)
McGregor was once the King of Combat sports, but then he bit off more than he could chew, abruptly disappearing from the scene. He re-emerged bravado in early in 2020 in a pay-per-view bout with Donald Cerrone. That bout proved that McGregor still has plenty of star power. How so? The non-title bout sold a million buys!
Now, the timing is just right for McGregor to reclaim his place as MMA’s superstar. Here’s why.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired, leaving the lightweight division ripe for the taking. McGregor returns to face an old nemesis, Dustin Poirier, early in January to compete for that vacant title.
And following that bout, McGregor doesn’t expect to pursue a traditional path. “Mystic Mac” might eye a super bout with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, or he might even push Nurmagomedov out of retirement for what would be a hotly anticipated re-match.
Either way, expect 2021 to be a year when McGregor grabs headlines once again.
