Almost every year, we witness the rise of a new star, who through his supreme talent and determination, performs at a phenomenal level and takes the world by storm. But, there are only very few of them who are able to maintain this excellent form over a long period of time.
Rarer too are those, who still remain competitive at such a stage in their life when their contemporaries are much younger than them. These exceptional individuals stand out from the rest, as even against a much younger opposition they more than held their own and thus have cemented their status amongst the absolute all time greats of their respective sports disciplines.
For this list, five exceptional players from different sports have been selected, all of whom still remain competitive even at an age at which others have either retired or their performances have considerably dwindled.
#5 Misbah-ul-Haq – Cricket
Misbah-ul-Haq, the middle order batsman from Pakistan, through his explosive yet steady batting, has helped his team recover from several near losses.
Despite making his international debut in 2002, it was only in the late 2000s, that Misbah was able to cement his place in the team, but once he had done so, he became one of the most consistent aspects of the Pakistan Cricket Team. Moreover, the fact that he has been able to maintain his fitness and form even in his 40s provides enough evidence about the quality player Misbah has become.
His performances reached their peak during the 2013-14 season when he was in his late 30s. He, in fact, finished 2013 as the highest run-getter in ODI format while also scoring a record breaking 15 ODI fifties during the year. The following year, he had an impressive Test record, in which he scored four centuries including scoring the fastest century ever, against Australia in just 56 balls.
In addition to all the above, he is also regarded as one of the greatest captains in Pakistan’s cricket history, leading the team to victory in numerous away series’, including the Asia Cup in 2012. Retiring only last year from ODIs and in 2012 from T20, Misbah continues to captain the national test squad, which is slated to tour England for a four-match Test series in July this year.
#4 Bernard Hopkins – Boxing
Hopkins grew up in a poor family and had taken to crime during his teenage years, which resulted in him being sent to prison when he was only 18. There, he coincidentally discovered boxing, a thing which entirely changed his fortunes.
After coming out of prison, he joined professional boxing in the late 1980s. He lost his initial bout, but after that, he recovered and went on to win numerous bouts in succession until he finally won the USBA Middleweight title in 1992.
He then lifted the IBF Middleweight title the following year and finally became world champion after winning the IBF Middleweight title in 1994.
After this, he continued to hold the world middleweight title from 1994 to 2005 and in the process also unified WBC, WBA, and The Ring titles in 2001 and topped it all after adding WBO title to his tally in 2004.
Then, after losing his middleweight titles in the mid 2000s, he started competing in Light Heavyweight division.
In 2006, he became world champion when he won WBC, IBO and The Ring Light Heavyweight titles, before losing it two years later. He then reclaimed the titles, thus breaking George Foreman’s record of being oldest world champion, by clinching the title at 46 years of age in 2011. If this wasn’t enough, he outdid his own record, when he retained the titles at 48 and then at 49 years of age.
He lost his titles to Sergey Kovalev in late 2014, but he still hasn’t retired. As of 2016, he is finalizing on what would be his final fight, but no confirmation about it has been released yet.
#3 Tim Duncan – Basketball
Making his debut with San Antonio Spurs during the 1997-98 season, the now 40-year-old Duncan has through the years built up a stellar career. After nearly two decades in the sport, he is now widely regarded amongst the greatest NBA players of all time.
A power forward, Duncan has been staggeringly consistent, helping Spurs march to five NBA Championships in his career. Individually, he has twice been honored with the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, received NBA Rookie of the Year and was also included fifteen times in the NBA All-Star game.
Famous for being incredibly consistent during his almost two-decade long career, Duncan’s form in 2016 has diminished a bit as he has struggled to score in double figures in numerous matches, a thing which he was accustomed to earlier in his career. But taking into account Duncan’s consistent career where he has rarely faltered, it is expected that this is just a temporary slump and he will be able to continue for at least a couple more years.
#2 Valentino Rossi – MotoGP
To still be winning races and fighting for championships even at a ripe old age of 37, Rossi will certainly be remembered amongst the all-time great of his sport.
Beginning his career in 1996, Rossi graduated to the premier class in 2000 and since then has never looked back. Winning a total 9 Grand Prix World Championships including seven in the premier class, Rossi has built up a stellar career over the years.
Currently, all of the riders alongside whom he made his debut in 2000 have retired and a whole new generation has taken up their places and it is only Rossi who has managed to still retain his name on the grid through all these years.
Now, almost in his late 30s, it is absolutely phenomenal to still see him race side by side for victories against riders such as Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo amongst others; most of whom grew up watching the Italian dominate in the 2000s.
With an extension for further two years already agreed with Yamaha, Rossi will continue in his quest to surpass Giacomo Agostini’s record total of 122 victories and eight premier class world titles.
#1 Serena Williams – Tennis
Beginning her career in the late 1990s, Williams has maintained her dominant form even in her mid 30s.
During a career, which has been affected numerous times by injuries, Williams has continued to bounce back, with her achievement tally including twenty-one singles Grand Slam titles, thirteen doubles Grand Slam titles and two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. Further, she remains only the third player in history to have simultaneously held all four major singles titles twice, which she achieved in 2002-03 and 2014-15 seasons.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, she is one of only few players in her mid 30s to still feature inside the top 10. Except her sister Venus, who is ranked eleventh in the world, no one is even near to matching her performance at her age.
Williams is a true testament of phenomenal determination and with the form in which she is currently in, it will be no surprise if she continues to dominate the tennis world for further three to four years.
Is Serena Williams a Jehovah's Witness? Why American legend doesn't celebrate birthdays or Christmas
