10 sporting stars to look out for in 2023

A look at the athletes set to take their sports by sport next year.

With a host of major World Championships set to take place in 2023, the PA news agency picks out 10 young stars who are best placed to take their respective sports by storm.

Funmi Fadoju (Netball)

Vitality Roses v Uganda She Cranes – Motorpoint Arena – Wednesday 5th October — Funmi Fadoju (left) is set to be a big part of England coach Jess Thirlby’s plans (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Fast-rising Fadoju is at the forefront of a new wave of England netball stars. Named as a reserve for the Commonwealth Games in the summer, Fadoju subsequently starred in series against Uganda and Australia, and will play an integral role in her country’s 2023 World Cup bid.

Richard Mansell (Golf)

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2022 – Day Four – St Andrews — Richard Mansell is ready to build on a stellar year in 2022 (Steve Welsh/PA)

The 27-year-old Mansell enjoyed by far the best season of his career in 2022, missing just five cuts in 25 starts and qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai for the first time, recording four top-10 finishes in the process.

Rehan Ahmed (Cricket)

Notts Outlaws v Leicestershire Foxes – Vitality Blast T20 – North Group – Trent Bridge — Rehan Ahmed has enjoyed a spectacular rise through the ranks (Simon Marper/PA)

The 18-year-old Leicestershire leg-spinner became England’s youngest ever men’s Test cricketer on the recent tour of Pakistan and made an instant impression. Equally adept with red and white ball, and with a Championship century already on his CV, Ahmed is well-placed to continue to make waves next summer.

Morgan Gannon (Rugby league)

Leeds Rhinos v Catalans Dragons – Betfred Super League – Headingley Stadium — Morgan Gannon is set for a surprising positional switch (Mike Egerton/PA)

The 19-year-old Gannon has made a meteoric rise since making his Leeds Rhinos debut in 2021 and his progress is set to continue under coach Rohan Smith. Originally a back-rower, Gannon has been training at stand-off, hinting at even more of an impact in Super League in 2023.

Maya Le Tissier (Football)

Manchester United v Aston Villa – Barclays Women’s Super League – Old Trafford — Maya Le Tissier (right) could prove central to England’s World Cup hopes (Tim Goode/PA)

The 20-year-old defender joined Manchester United from Brighton in the summer and subsequently made her England debut in the 1-1 draw with Norway in Murcia in November. Le Tissier is set to be part of the Lionesses squad for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Henry Arundell (Rugby union)

London Irish v Worcester Warriors – Gallagher Premiership – Gtech Community Stadium — Henry Arundell continues to rip down the wing for London Irish (Steven Paston/PA)

Arundell marked his international emergence by scoring a stunning solo try in the first Test against Australia in July. The London Irish wing sensation is recovering from a foot injury but is set to be central to the thinking of Eddie Jones’ Twickenham replacement.

Jack Draper (Tennis)

Wimbledon 2022 – Day Four – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club — Jack Draper is already ranked inside the world’s top 50 (John Walton/PA)

Draper has continued to progress since his stunning arrival in the big time in 2021, when he reached the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club then took a set off Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Currently a career-high 42, Draper also reached the NextGen semi-finals in October.

Joe O’Connor (Snooker)

Cazoo UK Championship – Day Four – York Barbican — Joe O’Connor reached his first ranking final in December (Nigel French/PA)

O’Connor’s first ranking final appearance at the Scottish Open in December may have ended in a crushing 9-2 defeat to Gary Wilson, but the Leicester 27-year-old earned gushing praise from Ronnie O’Sullivan and looks best placed among the sport’s few under-30s to make an impression.

Keely Hodgkinson (Athletics)

European Championships Munich 2022 – Day Ten — Keely Hodgkinson is poised to start turning silvers into gold (Marius Becker/DPA)

After clinching a trio of high-profile silver medals including world and Olympic silvers behind the brilliant Athing Mu, the 20-year-old 800-metre star is looking to ascend to the top step of the podium in 2023, culminating in the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Caroline Dubois (Boxing)

Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields Weigh-In – Genesis Cinema — Caroline Dubois has big plans as a professional (John Walton/PA)

Since turning professional in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics, Dubois – sister of heavyweight contender Daniel – has wasted no time, racking up four wins and already starting to call out Irish superstar Katie Taylor. The 21-year-old is set to accelerate further through 2023.