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For some time now in men’s tennis, there has been speculation about when the next generation of players will usurp the current crop. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – referred to as the Big Three – ensured that it didn’t happen last decade as they won 33 of the 40 Grand Slam events that took place.

Federer took his majors tally to 20 by the end of the last decade, the most by any man in singles history. At 38, he is certainly not getting any younger, but continues to be at the top of the game.

Nadal, who is second in the all-time list of singles Grand Slam titles for men with 19, is not called the King of Clay without reason. Twelve of his 19 majors have come in the French Open, including eight in the last decade. Apart from 2015 and 2016, Nadal has won the French Open every year in last 10 years.

Djokovic has 16 Grand Slam singles title in his kitty. With a record seven Australian Open titles, including six in the previous decade, Djokovic became only the third man – and the first since Rod Laver in 1969 – to hold all four majors at the same time, when he won the French Open for the first time in 2016. Djokovic is also the only male player to have won all nine Masters 1000 tournaments – a feat he achieved in 2018.

 

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The decade was marked by some good news for India on the badminton court. While the men had middling and intermittent success, the women have been consistent in their excellence.

Saina Nehwal was India’s poster girl at the start of the decade and she won herself and the country a bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. She also became the first Indian female – and only the second after Prakash Padukone – to hold the world number one ranking, when she achieved the feat in 2015. Silver and bronze medals at the 2015 and 2017 World Championship have further swelled her reputation and she still remains a force to reckon.

PV Sindhu, however, has become the top female badminton player in the country by the end of the decade. Apart from her unforgettable silver from the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sindhu also became only the second woman to claim five or more World Championship medal. Following bronze medals in 2013 and 2014, silver medals in 2017 and 2018, she finally won gold at the 2019 event in Basel, becoming the first Indian World Championship winner.

Among the men, Kidambi Srikanth became only the fourth player to win four Super Series titles on a year in 2017. He also briefly held the world number one ranking in 2018.

B Sai Praneeth, meanwhile, did himself proud with a bronze at the 2019 World Championships.

 

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In 2010, Spanish racer Marc Marquez won the 125cc World Championship. In 2012, he captured the Moto2 World Championship. Participating in the premier MotoGP class for the first time in 2013, he won the title in his debut season itself! With that, Marquez became one of four riders to have won world championship titles in three different categories.

Racing for Honda’s factory team since his MotoGP debut, Marquez has moved from strength to strength through the decade. He won the MotoGP title in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well, losing out only in 2015, when Jorge Lorenze won the title.

At the age of 26, Marquez is already a six-time world champion, the youngest to win the title (when he won in 2013) and holds the record for most points and podiums ever for a rider in a single season (420 points and 18 podium finishes from 19 races in 2019).

 

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The decade started with a FIFA World Cup in 2010. Spain’s winning streak post Euro 2008 continued and they went on to win their first ever World Cup in 2010. Their dominance continued for a few more years as they defended their Euro title in 2012.

Spain, however, were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in the group stages itself. Germany became the first European nation to win a World Cup in South American soil and they did it in style. Their 7-1 victory over hosts Brazil and 1-0 extra-time win over another South American powerhouse Argentina in the final gave them the title for a fourth time.

However, Germany was knocked out in the group stages in the 2018 World Cup IN Russia. France, who had entered the tournament as one of the favourites, went on to win the title, defeating a determined Croatia side 4-2 in the final.

The previous decade also witnessed unprecedented growth in the women’s game. While U.S. finished runners up to Japan in the 2011 World Cup, they won back to back titles in 2015 and 2019. All this when more people than ever before were thronging the stadiums to support their stars.

 

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Juventus have an ongoing winning streak of eight in a row in the Italian Series A. Bayern Munich has won the German Bundesliga on eight out of 10 occasions in last decade, including an active streak of seven in a row. Barcelona has been dominant in the La Liga (despite the presence of Real Madrid and the growth of Atletico Madrid), winning the title seven times in the last decade. Paris Saint Germain, meanwhile, has won the French Ligue 1 six times in the last 10 completed seasons.

However, the big five European leagues were not predominantly one-horse races. The English Premier League witnessed a grand fairytale that saw rank outsiders Leicester City being crowned champions of the 2015-16 season. Add to it Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time goal that completed a remarkable comeback win on the final day of the 2012-13 season and gave Manchester City the title. It was one of the most dramatic season finishes ever, and Premier League has surely seen good competition through the decade.

India, meanwhile, saw the birth of another premier football league in the country along with I-League. The Indian Super League’s first season took place in 2014 with eight teams and the tournament has grown to include 10 teams in its current season. The ISL has also been successful in bringing a large amount of people to the stadiums.

 

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have arguably been the best footballers of their generation. The Ballon d’Or, which is awarded to the best male football player each year, has more or less been shared by the two over the last ten years. With Messi winning it on five occasions and Ronaldo four times, Luka Modric, in 2018, is the only other player to win it in the previous decade.

With 522 goals for Barcelona and 23 trophies – including seven La Liga titles and two Champions League titles – over the last decade, Messi has certainly had the better club record. Ronaldo is not far off though, with 478 club goals and 17 club trophies in the last 10 years, which includes four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles and a Serie A title.

When it comes to Internationals, however, Ronaldo has been ahead. He’s scored 77 international goals for Portugal in the last 10 years as opposed to Messi’s 57 for Argentina. And while Messi has slipped at the final hurdle with Argentina in a number of international tournaments, Ronaldo’s Portugal won the Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

 

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For a few hours on November 14 and November 15 in 2013, the crowed at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai were up on their feet throughout and chanting a single world: “Sachin, Sachin!”. As Sachin Tendulkar batted for India for one last time, those who had gathered to celebrate the occasion went berserk. India won the Test match against West Indies by an innings and 126 runs, but all that people remember are Tendulkar’s 74 in his final innings and his retirement speech on November 16.

Having started his international career on November 15, 1989, Tendulkar played cricket at the highest level for 24 years. In a career that spanned decades, Tendulkar was often at the pinnacle of his sport and considered one of the greatest batsmen to have ever graced the game.

With 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 runs in ODIs to go with his 100 international hundreds, Tendulkar holds innumerable records, some of them seemingly insurmountable. An era in cricket, and Indian cricket in particular, came to an end with Tendulkar’s retirement, but those he passed the baton onto have been carrying the burden admirably.

While Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the mantle initially – as a batsman, captain and the crowd’s hero – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma too dominated as batsmen as the years went on. We have often had a batting department to boast about while our bowling fails us, but that has changed in the last few years. With a dream pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and skilled spinners in every format, India are now as good in their bowling, as they are in batting as well.

 

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One of the most iconic moments of the last decade in cricket would definitely be Mahendra Singh Dhoni hitting a six to win the 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup and them twirling his bat in style. India emerged champions of the format for the first time since 1983 and it was only the second time, after Sri Lanka in 1996, that a host country won the event.

The significance of home advantage changed completely after that. For after India’s success, the next two World Cups in 2015 and 2019 were also won by host nations.

The 2015 World Cup final was in fact played by the two host nations, Australia and New Zealand, and was won by Australia, which hosted the final.

The 2019 World Cup was won by England, even though no team lost in the final. With both England and New Zealand tied after the scheduled 50 overs and the Super Over, the hosts were declared winners owing to a queer boundary countback rule.

 

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Briton Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 world championship title in 2008, when he was with McLaren. He moved to Mercedes in 2013 and there has been no turning back since then. He is now a six-time world champion, having won the title in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, losing to team-mate Nico Rosberg by just five points in 2016.

By the end of the decade, Hamilton notched up the most career points, the most pole positions (88) and most points in a single season (413 in 2019). He is now second behind Michael Schumacher in the all-time list of world championship victories, 91 race victories and 155 podium finishes are surely within his grasp.

 

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With the first men’s T20 international being played only in 2005 and the first World Cup in the format being held in 2007, the last decade was the first full 10 years in which the format has existed.

While international T20s are plugged into almost every series and World Cups are a huge draw, the format has been especially popular in league forms, with a number of tournaments now being held around the world.

Indian Premier League (IPL), the first edition of which was held in 2008, continues to be the most popular involved and the entertainment value it provides.

The IPL has had its share of laws, what with match fixing and the ensuing ban of two franchises for two years. Despite the negatives, the IPL continues to be hugely popular with the masses, and continues to grab a lot of eyeballs.

In terms of results, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have proved to be most successful, winning four and three titles respectively so far.

 

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In 1960, in Rome, Italy, the first Paralympics were held. These are Olympic Games for athletes with disabilities. They are now held after each Olympic Games, often on the same site, and give disabled athletes from all over the world an opportunity to compete against each other. Taking place soon after the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the Olympic-style games for athletes with a disability attracted 400 participants from 23 countries, who competed in eight sports.

Paralympics Games, major international sports competition for athletes with disabilities. Comparable to the Olympic Games, the Paralympics are split into Winter Games and Summer Games, which alternately occur every two years. Many of the same Olympic events are included—such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and biathlon for winter sports and cycling, archery, and swimming for summer sports—although sports equipment for the Paralympics may be modified for specific disabilities. Since the late 20th century the Paralympics have been held in the same city that hosts the corresponding Olympic Games; the Paralympics follow shortly after the Olympics conclude. The International Paralympics Committee, which was founded in 1989 and is based in Germany, governs the Paralympics Games.

Paralympics athletes compete in six different disability groups—amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability, and “les autres” (athletes whose disability does not fit into one of the other categories, including dwarfism). Within each group, athletes are further divided into classes on the basis of the type and extent of their disabilities. Individual athletes may be reclassified at later competitions if their physical status changes.

The size and diversity of the Paralympics Games have increased greatly over the years. The Paralympics in 1960 hosted 400 athletes from 23 countries participating in eight sports. Just over 50 years later, at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, more than 4,200 athletes representing 164 countries participated in 20 sports.

The Ancient Greeks held sporting contests over 2000 years ago. In 1896, a Frenchman called Baron Pierre de Coubertin prompted the revival of the Olympic Games. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in honour of their origin. Since then they have been held every four years, except in wartime, in cities all over the globe.

The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympic spirit of striving to do one’s best. Before each Olympic Games, a series of runners carries the flame from Greece to the site of the Games, where it is used to light the main flame at the opening ceremony.

The original Olympics were always held at Olympia. Almost every modern Olympiad is celebrated in or near a different city of the world. The earlier Games were open only to Greek citizens and athletes from other Mediterranean countries. The modern Games encourage all nations to compete. A person may enter if his or her country has a National Olympic Committee (NOC) that is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Events for women have become a major interest in the modern Games, and the winners receive honors equal to those given the male winners.

The ancient Greeks furthered culture by giving honors for cultural achievements at the Olympic Games. The modern Olympics hold an arts festival, where the culture of the host country is showcased in various art forms.

Footraces, jumping, discus and javelin throwing, boxing, wrestling, and some other events were carried over from the original Olympic Games. But such present Olympic contests as cycling, canoeing and sailing, football (soccer), basketball, judo, rifle shooting, and water polo were unknown in early times. The modern pentathlon tests an athlete's all-around ability in swimming (300-meter freestyle), cross-country running (4,000 meters), fencing with the horse show jumping, and shooting with a target pistol at 10 meters.

One of the most grueling events of the modern Olympics is the marathon. This footrace over a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) is a supreme test of the runners' endurance. The marathon was not run at Olympia, but it has its origin in ancient Greece. In 490 B.C. the Athenians defeated an army of invading Persians at Marathon, which is northeast of Athens. From there, Pheidippides, a champion runner in the Olympic Games, carried the news of victory to the people of Athens. To do this he had to run a great distance. Once he reached Athens and gasped out his news of victory, he died. It is in his honor that the marathon race is run.

In 1924, the Winter Games became a new feature of the modern Olympics. Such cold-weather sports as pair and figure skating, ice hockey, bobsledding, and the biathlon (rifle shooting on a cross-country ski course) could never have developed in the warm climate of Greece (although figure and pair skating and ice hockey had been included in previous modern Games). Until 1992, the Winter Games were held in the same year as the Summer Games. Beginning in 1994, the winter and Summer Games were held two years apart, on separate four-year cycles.

When Athletes are running a circuit, those on the inside tracks have to run less far than those on the outside. In order to ensure that everyone runs the same distance, the start is staggered, so that those on the inside appear to start much further back than those on the outside. It is not until the final straight that it is really possible to see who is winning. Longer races often start from a simple curved line. Athletes break out of their lanes quite quickly and each runs as close to the inside of the track as possible.

If they all started from the same line, then the athletes in the outer lanes would have to run further than the athletes in the inner lanes, because of the semicircles at the top and bottom of the track.

So each lane has to have a special starting position so they all have to run the same distance.

In every Olympic event, officials try to keep things is as fair as possible. In track, this means making sure runners cover the same distance. Short distances make this easy—simply paint a perpendicular line across the track to denote the starting and finishing points. This works quite nicely for the 100 meter race.

But what if the distance is longer than 100 meters? Of course, officials could use a longer track, creating, say, a 400 meter track for the 400 meter hurdles. But with longer distances, it starts getting difficult for spectators to see all the action. Instead, the answer is a curved track. Modern track and field tracks typically are an oval.

This presents a problem. If you run around the entire track, an inner lane is a shorter distance than an outer lane. The solution to this is to make the athletes start at different points on the track.

Some Athletes do not specialize in just one sport but maintain a very high standard at several. For them, multi-disciplinary sports, in which points are awarded for performance in a variety of events, are ideal.

A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the Olympic Games, first held in modern times in 1896 in Athens, Greece and inspired by the Ancient Olympic Games, one of a number of such events held in antiquity. Most modern multi-sports events have the same basic structure. Games are held over the course of several days in and around a “host city”, which changes for each competition. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes and teams that compete in a wide variety of sports. Athletes or teams are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. Each game is generally held every four years, though some are annual competitions.