The competition is extreme in sports globally. Hundred and thousands of athletes compete to play for their country but not everyone can achieve their goals. Only a few can reach the stage but unfortunately many among them retire due to unforeseen reasons. Apart from being physically unfit due to age, athletes retire due to injuries, mental pressure, and a lot more. Here is a list of five athletes who retired early in their careers due to personal reasons.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, retired when he was at his career's peak. He was 30 years old at that moment. It was on 6 October 1993, when he decided to retire even after being at the height of his basketball prowess. Jordan later said that he was losing his wish to play the sport. Also, he wrote in his autobiography that he was feeling exhausted to play in the Olympic team and was deciding to retire in that year only. In fact, his father's murder was a reason that impacted him. If Jordan continued playing, he could have reached some unbelievable extent of his career.

Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty stunned the tennis world after announcing her retirement on Wednesday. The World No. 1 women's tennis player took to Instagram to share her decision last Tuesday night. Withing the age of 25 years, she won 3 Grand Slams, 15 WTA Tour championships, and also has a 305-102 career record. The Australian is leading as the World No. 1 since 24 June 2019. She stated that she didn't have that enthusiasm to continue anymore. "I've said it to my team multiple times — 'I just don't have that in me anymore.' Physically, I have nothing more to give. I've given absolutely everything I have to this beautiful sport of tennis, and I'm really happy with that. For me, that is my success."

Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was quite an effective player of the Indian cricket team during his time. He was one of the famous names in the cricket fraternity at that point. The former Indian head coach played 80 tests and 150 ODIs for India from 1981 to 1992. Also, he proved to be a key all-rounder and executed good skills with his left-arm spin as well. Unfortunately, Shastri had to retire at the age of 31 due to his injuries. Later, he moved on to commentary and then went ahead to coach the Indian team.

Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg retired from the tennis world only at the age of 26 years. He became the first tennis player to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era between 1974 and 1981. The legend held the ATP No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks and also won 11 Grand Slams during that time. The former world No. 1 played only 1 tournament in 1982 even after staying physically fit and ended up losing in the quarter-finals. Also, he lost the final of the 1981 Wimbledon Championships. He felt at that point that his desire to play was gone. He said later, "When I lost what shocked me was I wasn't even upset. That was not me: losing a Wimbledon final and not upset. I hate to lose."

Eric Cantona

At the age of 30 years, Eric Cantona announced his retirement on 17 May 1997. The French midfielder was a legend of Manchester United. He contributed to winning 4 Premier League titles in 5 years while playing at the club. People even composed songs for the legend. Their manager Alex Ferguson also recognized him as 1 of the 4 world-class players he witnessed during his 26 years of journey in the club. He was at his peak at the time of retirement and he could have achieved a lot more but he ended his journey with 2 FA Cups and 1 FWA Player of the Year award.

Every young cricketer dreams of scoring a century for their nation on an international stage. But for a precious few, that dream became a jaw-dropping reality early in their careers.

India has been gifted with such memorable centuries by youngsters who later turned out to be cricketing legends. We are talking about Sachin Tendulkar and his unmatched legacy in the list of the youngest Indians to score an international century.

Check out the other names that follow up with their quality batting skills.

1. Sachin Tendulkar (17 years 107 days) | 1990

Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest Indian cricketer ever and the 3rd youngest overall to score an international century with his maiden century at Old Trafford, in August 1990. At just 17 years and 107 days old, he scored an unbeaten 119 in the fourth innings, helping India to save the Test match against England.

Sachin not only announced his arrival on the global stage with this knock, but also helped India secure a draw in the test.

Read Also: Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

2. Prithvi Shaw (18 years 329 days) | 2018

Prithvi Shaw became the youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut and the second-youngest in this list of international centuries with his knock against the West Indies in October 2018. He was only 18 years and 329 days old at that time.

He reached his hundred in 99 balls and scored 134 runs in that innings, which marked a spectacular test debut.

3. Kapil Dev (20 years 18 days) | 1979

India's legendary all-rounder, Kapil Dev, holds the third place with his century against the West Indies on home soil in 1979. It was his first test century, at the age of 20 years and 18 days. He was 126 not out in the particular innings.

4. Abbas Ali Baig (20 years 126 days) | 1959

Abbas Ali Baig scored his first test century at the age of 20 years and 126 days against England in July 1959. This made him the first Indian to score a century on Test debut outside India and the fourth youngest centurion in this elite list.

Apart from his brilliant achievements in the field of cricket, he is also famously remembered for being kissed by a female fan during a Test match in Bombay.

Read Also: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

5. Madhav Apte (20 years 137 days) | 1953

The former Indian test opener, Madhav Apte, scored his only test century at the age of 20 years 137 days in January 1953 against the West Indies. He made 163 not out in the fifth test of the series.

Despite the impressive century and a good tour, his Test career was surprisingly short-lived, playing only 7 tests.

6. Ajay Ratra (20 years 148 days) | 2002

Ajay Ratra is a former wicket-keeper batter who also had a short-lived test career, comprising 6 test matches. However, he scored an impactful century at only 20 years and 148 days of age, which puts him in the 6th place for the youngest Indian cricketers to score an international century.

He scored this in May 2002 against the West Indies and helped India secure a draw on a flat pitch.

7. Ravi Shastri (20 years 248 days) | 1983

Ravi Shastri scored his first test century in January 1983 at the age of 20 years and 248 days. He scored 128 in that innings against Pakistan's strong pace attack led by Imran Khan.

This innings transitioned him into an opening batsman, showcasing his finest skills and ability to adapt.

Read Also: 16 Indian Cricketers with stands named after them at a stadium

8. Vijay Manjrekar (20 years 253 days) | 1952

Vijay Manjrekar delivered a key performance on the international stage early in his career with his Test century against England in 1952. At the age of 20 years and 253 days, he stood elegantly against a great English bowling attack.

9. Gundappa Viswanath (20 years 276 days) | 1969

Gundappa Viswanath holds the 9th position with his maiden Test century against Australia in 1969, when he was 20 years and 276 days old. After a duck in his first innings, he bounced back with a magnificent 136 runs in the second innings.

This knock brought him into the limelight at an early age, and also helped the nation see his ability to score under pressure.

Read Also: Fastest Indians to score 2000 test runs

10. Rishabh Pant (20 years 338 days) | 2018

Rishabh Pant's aggressive and fearless approach came into light with his maiden Test century at 20 years and 338 days of age, making his way to the Top 10 youngest Indian cricketers to score an international century.

With this performance in 2018, Pant also became the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a test century in England.

The French Open, often known as Roland-Garros, is an annual tennis tournament held at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the year. It is the only Grand Slam played on clay court, making it one of the most anticipated tennis events of the year. It is thought to be one of the most arduous grand slams to win, as the best-of-five-sets format on clay makes the battle extremely exhausting, and only the fittest players can emerge as the French Open Winners.

Also Read: Most matches in Tennis history (male & female): Tennis Records

However, during its 131 years of reigning, the French Open has been a witness of several unexpected moments. From one man unbelievably acquiring 13 French Open titles to the rise of numerous unexpected winners, the event has seen it all. Let us have a trip to memory lane and look at the female French Open winners from the Last 10 years.

French Open Winners: (Women)

Read also: French Open Winners: Last 10 years (Men)

1. French Open 2016 Winner- Garbiñe Muguruza

22-Year-old Garbine Muguruza stunned tennis fans when she upset Serena Williams at the 2016 French Open. As a result, the American's dream to win a 22nd Grand Slam singles title and tie Steffi Graf's Open-era record was dashed.

Nevertheless, Muguruza upset the former world number 1 in straight sets(7–5, 6–4) to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open. Thereafter, Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to win the championship since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario defeated Monica Seles in the final in 1998.

2. French Open 2017 Winner- Jeļena Ostapenko

Jelena Ostapenko won her maiden Grand Slam championship as a professional in the 2017 French Open women's final. She hushed the naysayers and demonstrated that she belongs amongst stars by becoming the first unseeded player to win at Roland Garros.

However, she fought back to win 6-4, 6-3 after losing the first set 4-6 to former No. 3 Simona Halep. Thus, Ostapenko became the youngest first-time Grand Slam champion since Svetlana Kuznetsova won the US Open at the age of 19 in 2004.

3. French Open 2018 Winner- Simona Halep

Halep seemed practically helpless against Sloane Stephens in the opening set of the French Open Women's singles final, trailing 3-6, 0-2 at one point. But in the second set, Halep turned up the heat with a ferocity that helped her capture her maiden Grand Slam title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. After losing at the Australian Open, Halep not only quenched her thirst, but she also became the first Romanian to win a Grand Slam since 1978.

4. French Open 2019 Winner- Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty, a three-time grand slam champion, became the first Australian women's singles player to win the French Open since Margaret Court in 1973. In a one-sided final, she thrashed Marketa Vondrousova, a Czech player, 6-1, 6-3. As a result, the Aussie earned the prestigious trophy and effectively carried her country's expectations on her shoulders.

5. French Open 2020 Winner- Iga Świątek

Iga Swiatek, a 19-year-old tennis sensation, won the 2020 French Open in straight sets, crowning herself as the sport's latest superstar. The result was never in doubt, as the girl appeared to be completely unfazed throughout the game, and she triumphed in just one hour and 24 minutes. Nonetheless, with this victory by her side, Swiatek became the first Pole to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Also Read: ATP & WTA Rankings: Most number of weeks as World No.1 Tennis Player

6. French Open 2021 Winner- Barbora Krejčíková

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova won her first Grand Slam singles title at the French Open 2021, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia to become the first Czech woman to be awarded the title in 40 years. However, Krejcikova, playing just her fifth main draw in a Slams singles event, triumphed 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 for a second career title. As a result, The champion followed in the footsteps of compatriot Hana Mandlikova, who won the title in 1981 in Paris.

7. French Open 2022 winner- Iga Swiatek

World Number One Iga Swiatek of Poland won the French Open 2022 Women's Singles Title by beating US teenager Coco Gauf. The 21-year-old clinched her second title in three years in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 over Gauff. In addition, she is the youngest player ranked in the top ten. Iga was the 2020 French Open champion and is the first player representing Poland to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

8. French Open 2023 winner- Iga Swaitek

Iga Swiatek defeated Karolína Muchová to win the French Open 2023 title. Iga rewrote the history books with her third French Open title. She became only the second women's player to defend the Roland Garros title this century after Justine Henin did it in 2006. The 22-year-old also became the youngest player to win the Claycourt Major in consecutive years since Monica Seles (19) in 1992. She is also the youngest to win four Grand Slams since Serena Williams (20) in 2002.

9. French Open 2024 winner- Iga Swaitek

Iga Swiatek achieved the rare feat of winning a third successive French Open women's title and fourth overall with a comprehensive victory over Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini. Poland’s Swiatek continued her recent dominance on the Roland Garros clay with a 6-2 6-1 win against first-time major finalist Paolini.

Also Read: Iga Siwatek wins her fourth Roland Garros title; her third in a row

It was Swiatek's fifth Grand Slam singles title. In open-era women’s tennis, only Evert and Graf (6) have won more Roland Garros titles than her, and she becomes the first woman since Henin in 2007 to triumph thrice in a row in Paris. She also became the only woman apart from Serena Williams to do the Madrid-Rome-Paris triple – winning all three of the most important clay court events on the calendar in the same year.

10. French Open 2025 winner- Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff claimed her first French Open title and second career grand slam singles title, coming from behind to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling French Open 2025 women’s final.

The 21-year-old’s win, a repeat of her 2023 US Open victory, means she is the first American since Serena Williams in 2015 to triumph at Roland Garros, and only the third this century. She is also the youngest American to lift the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup since Serena Williams did so in 2002.

Sabalenka had won three of the last eight majors and was the most successful singles player on the women's circuit in 2025 prior to Gauff's burst on Saturday. Gauff won 11 of the final 17 games of the match, showcasing some of the best tennis she's played in her career on the biggest stage.

In Test cricket, captaincy is often associated with experience and seasoned wisdom, which matters in the long format. However, young talents step up early and prove how they are worthy of leadership.

With Shubman Gill stepping up as the new test captain for India, let's take a moment to celebrate the youngest cricketers to lead India in tests.

Here we bring you the five youngest cricket to ever represent India in tests as a captain.

5. Shubman Gill (25 years 285 days) | 2025

The newest name to join this list of young Indian test captains is Shubman Gill. At the age of 25 years and 285 days, Gill became the 37th test captain of India, and is set to lead in the longest format of the game.

The Indian team will play under Gill's captaincy with the commencement of five-match test series against England on June 20, 2025. This was a major change in the test squad after the former captain, Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli, announced retirement from tests.

Gill made his test debut against Australia in December 2020, and scored 1893 runs, with 5 centuries and 7 fifties so far. With this new turnaround in his career, he became the 5th youngest cricketer to lead India in tests.

Read Also: Every Test Captain of Indian Men's Test Cricket Team

4. Ravi Shastri (25 years 229 days) | 1988

A prominent all-rounder and later a successful coach for the Indian team, Ravi Shastri also briefly held the reins of Test captaincy. He took on the role at the age of 25 years and 229 days, when he led India against West Indies on January 11, 1988.

His captaincy tenure was limited to a single match, but it was a memorable one, as India secured a victory by 255 runs. Shastri scored 3830 runs and took 151 wickets in his test career, that spanned from 1981 to 1992.

3. Kapil Dev (24 years 48 days) | 1983

The legendary all-rounder, Kapil Dev stepped into test captaincy for India at the age of 24 years and 48 days. His first match as a captain was against West Indies on February 23, 1983.

Dev captained India in 34 matches and proved how he was worthy of the position with true leadership skills at such young age. He took 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs in his test career (1978-1994).

He is still the youngest captain to win the World Cup for any team, and comes third in the list for youngest cricketers to lead India in tests.

Read Also: Most successful Test captains from India

2. Sachin Tendulkar (23 years 169 days) | 1996

One of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar also had his tenure as the test captain of India at the age of 23 years and 169 days. He first took on the captaincy to lead India in a match against Australia, in 1996.

Tendulkar's captaincy journey had two phases, with him leading in 25 matches. He had an incredible test career with 15921 runs in 200 matches, which is still the highest by any batter in the world!

Read Also: 16 Indian Cricketers with stands named after them at a stadium

1. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (21 years 77 days) | 1962

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi remains India's youngest ever test captain, having taken the role at the age of just 21 years and 77 days! He was famously known as 'Tiger' Pataudi in the field of cricket.

He captained India in 40 matches out of his 46-match test career. Despite losing his right eye in an accident early in his career, he continued to play and lead with brilliant skills and courage.

Pataudi scored 2793 runs, smashing 6 centuries and 16 half-centuries in his test career (1961-1975).

The head coach of a cricket team plays a crucial part in the success of a team. The head coach not only decides the team’s strategies and game plans but takes some responsibility in selecting the playing XI.

Former left-handed Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was appointed as the new Indian cricket team's head coach on 9th July 2024, Tuesday. The 42-year-old Gambhir who recently led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title as a mentor, replaced Rahul Dravid who just won the T20 World Cup 2024 with Team India.

During Gambhir’s 3.5-year stint, India will play five ICC tournaments so he would like to help India win the ODI World Cup at least once. As Gautam Gambhir is set to take charge of the Indian Cricket Team, we'll look at the Indian head coaches and their records since 2000. 

Read Also: Every World Cup-winning Indian player who became India's coach later and their stats

Indian Head Coach Record since 2000 (Full Tenures)

John Wright – 2000 to 2005

John Wright, the former New Zealand cricketer served as the head coach of the Indian national cricket team from 2000 to 2005. He was the first foreign coach to lead the Indian team. He formed a brilliant partnership with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly during the early 2000s. India couldn't win an ICC trophy but they won the Test series against Australia in 2001, some historic victories in Test matches in England and Australia, and they also reached the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. In 2004, India achieved a significant milestone, winning a historic Test series in Pakistan. In 2005, Wright was replaced by Greg Chappell.

Greg Chappell – 2005 to 2007

Former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell served as the head coach of the Indian cricket team from 2005 to 2007. India won a Test series in the West Indies after 35 years, won 4-1 in an ODI series against Pakistan in Pakistan, and also registered their first-ever Test victory in South Africa.

However, there were rifts within the team which were widely discussed in the media. After India’s disappointing performance in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Chappell was forced to quit the job. India were knocked out in the group stages of the ODI World Cup 2007. 

Gary Kirsten – 2008 to 2011

Gary Kirsten served as the head coach of the Indian cricket team from 2008 to 2011. The former South African cricketer, played a huge part in India's Cricketing history, helping the side clinch the ODI World Cup after a long wait of 28 years.

Not only that but India also became the top-ranked test team for the first time in history. India won a historic test series against Australia in Australia in 2008. Kirsten’s tenure ended after the 2011 World Cup, but several talented players from his team went on to achieve so much in their cricketing careers.

Duncan Fletcher – 2011 to 2015

Former Zimbabwean cricketer, Duncan Fletcher served as the head coach from 2011 to 2015. Under his tenure, India won the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. India also reached the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup. At first, it looked like they would win the trophy once again but Australia knocked them out of the competition. His contract ended after India's exit from the World Cup.

Read Also: Ajinkya Naik becomes the youngest president of Mumbai Cricket Association

Anil Kumble – 2016 to 2017

Anil Kumble served as the head coach of the Indian cricket team from 2016 to 2017. During his tenure, India reached the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 but unfortunately lost to Pakistan. Anil Kumble had a good winning percentage with the team but they couldn't deliver in the important moments. After the loss against Pakistan, Ravi Shastri replaced Kumble as the new head coach of Team India.

Ravi Shastri – 2017 to 2021

Ravi Shastri served as Team India’s director from 2014 to 2016 and as head coach from 2017 to 2021. During his time as head coach, India reached the final of the 2021 World Test Championship, the semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup, and also won two back-to-back Test series in Australia.

There were highs and lows in Ravi Shastri's coaching tenure but they used to play aggressively in the Tests which helped them shine in the format. India were hoping to win an ICC title under Ravi Shastri but it didn't happen. They lost against the Kiwis in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. India made it to the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final but lost against the same opponent.

Rahul Dravid – 2021 to 2024

Rahul Dravid, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, became head coach of the team after Shastri’s exit in 2021. Dravid had previously coached the India under-19 and India A sides from 2016 to 2019. He served as Team India's head coach from 2021-24.

His period was very successful in the history of Indian cricket. India won almost every bilateral limited-overs series both at home and abroad under Dravid's coaching. The team reached the finals of two major global events in 2023 - the World Test Championship and the 50-over World Cup. However, they lost both against Australia.

But, there was a happy ending at the end of his tenure. Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s Head Coach ended after India's 2024 T20 World Cup victory in the West Indies. India finally managed to win their second T20 World Cup title after 17 years and their first ICC title after 11 years.

No Indian bowler has picked more wickets in ODI World Cups than Mohammed Shami. He was terrific in the 2023 ODI World Cup and so was in 2019. His tally of 55 wickets is the third-highest by an Asian bowler and fifth in history. He is also the only bowler to grab four five-wicket hauls in World Cups. But, he was never the first choice for India. India played 28 matches in the last three World Cups and Shami appeared in just 18 of those games, India winning on 15 occasions.

Read Also: Suryakumar Yadav as captain: Stats and previous records

Mohammed Shami opened up about the 2019 World Cup in Shubhankar Mishra's podcast

in 2023, Shami was benched for the first four group games. In the 2019 World Cup, India were led by Virat Kohli and coached by Ravi Shastri. Shami made his first appearance in the fifth match against Afghanistan and picked up a hat-trick. Then he scalped a fifer against England in his third appearance.

Shami was rested for the final group game against Sri Lanka and the semifinal against New Zealand. Ultimately, India lost the semi-final against the Kiwis.

A well-known Journalist and YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra invited Mohammed Shami on a podcast and spoke about lots of things. Shami stated that he was shocked by the management's decision in 2019. He thought every team requires good performers, but then why was his performance overlooked despite putting on the best?

“In 2019 I did not play the first 4-5 games. In the next game, I took a hat trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul, and then four wickets in the next game. A similar happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets, and then a five-wicket haul again,” he said.

“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me? I neither have questions nor do I have answers. I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” he added.

In 2023, Shami was rested for the first few games. He got the opportunity to get a spot in the playing XI after Hardik Pandya was injured and ruled out. Shami proved his worth and why he deserved the opportunity in the first place by scalping 24 wickets in seven matches. It also included two fifers as Shami finished as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.