1 of 5 | Simone Biles took home four Olympic medals during the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. File Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI, Dec. 18 (UPI) — Simone Biles’ Olympic redemption was among the Top-7 sports moments of 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs’ quest to become the first team to win three-consecutive Super Bowls is among the Top-4 moments to expect in 2025.
Coco Gauff, LeBron James, Rafael Nadal, Bill Belichick, Katie Ledecky, Nick Saban and Shohei Ohtani were involved in other top performances this year.
Those elite athletes competed around the globe, including on tennis and basketball courts, football fields, swimming pools and baseball diamonds during a sports gauntlet oozing with intrigue.
Additional individual athletic and team dominance, preparation for major competitions and potential fulfillment — or failure to meet — unprecedented expectations are involved in the Top-4 sports moments to watch in 2025.
These highlights are not ranked, just remembered.
Top-7 sports moments of 2024
Simone Biles won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky achieve redemption, record dominance
Twisties were a thing of the past for Simone Biles, who careened through the Paris air, completed unmatched rotations, stuck landings and silenced doubters — while battling a calf injury — during her Olympic redemption tour at the 2024 Summer Games. She returned to the Olympic mats for the first time since her 2020 Summer Games performance was interrupted by mental health issues.
Biles, widely regarded as the greatest gymnast in history, added to her lore with four medals, including three golds. She became the most-decorated American gymnast in history with her podium-packed performance.
Ledecky, regarded as one of the greatest swimmers in history, became the most decorated American female Olympian at Paris 2024.
She also won four medals in Paris, including two golds, tying former Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most gold medals (nine) won by a woman in the history of the Olympics — winter or summer.
The New England Patriots parted ways with longtime coach Bill Belichick in January, ending an unmatched 24-year tenure, which included six Super Bowl victories. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Coaches Bill Belichick, Nick Saban end iconic football tenures
Two of the best football coaches in history left their longtime roles early on in 2024, with the New England Patriots splitting with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban retiring after an incredible run leading the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Saban announced his departure just a day before the Patriots’ split with Belichick. The Crimson Tide coach, 73, won seven national titles — including six at Alabama. His 292 wins are the 15th-most in FBS Division I history.
Belichick, 72, led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles during his 24-year run as Patriots coach, but struggled to find success after longtime quarterback Tom Brady left the team in 2020. The Patriots went 29-38 over Belichick’s final four seasons, including a 4-13 mark in 2023. They parted ways with the football legend about a week later.
Belichick’s 302 wins are the third most in NFL history, behind only Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318). He failed to land a head coaching job during the 2024 NFL hiring cycle and shocked many last week when he agreed to become head coach at North Carolina.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal participated in his final French Open in May at Roland Garros in Paris, where he won a record 14 singles titles. File Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI
Rafael Nadal retirement
Tennis’ “King of Clay” stepped away from the sport in November, ending his terrific tenure that started in 2001 and featured 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 14 at the French Open at Roland Garros.
The Spaniard, who missed many matches near the end of his career due to various injuries, leaned on superior athleticism and speed to earn 1,080 wins on the singles circuit. His 92 singles titles are the fifth-most since 1968, the start of the Open Era.
“The titles, numbers, they’re there,” Nadal, 38, said after his final match Nov. 19 at the Davis Cup. “People probably know that. The way I’d like to be remembered more is like a good person from a small village in Mallorca.”
Athletes from around the world, including Nadal’s fieriest foes — Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic — lauded the Spaniard for his greatness. Federer said Nadal challenged him in ways “no one else could.” Djokovic said he would forever cherish his rivalry with Nadal and that tennis would miss him.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark brought a surge of popularity to the WNBA during her rookie season, helping the league set viewership and attendance records. File Photo by Corey Sipkin/UPI
Caitlin Clark handles hype
She entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and did not disappoint. Caitlin Clark kept eyes glued to the league at a record rate, while setting her own marks on the court en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
The Indiana Fever guard averaged 19.2 points per game, the seventh-most in the league, in addition to a WNBA-best 8.4 assists per game during her rookie year.
She set league the WNBA single-season record for assists and netted the most points ever scored by a point guard, while lifting the Fever out of the standings cellar and into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Clark, a catalyst for record viewership during her final season at Iowa, when she set the college basketball scoring record, also helped the Fever set franchise and league attendance records throughout her first professional season.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (C) won his first World Series in October. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Shohei Ohtani sheds scandal, helps Dodgers win World Series
As the most dynamic baseball player in history, Shohei Ohtani’s arrival already magnetized fan interest to the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2024 campaign. Some of that intrigue seeped from the record $700 million contract he signed in 2023, but a sports gambling scandal involving the pitcher/designated hitter’s money and former interpreter drew more eyes from league and federal investigators.
Ohtani eventually was cleared of involvement, while former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to two counts related to the theft of nearly $17 million from Ohtani. He is to be sentenced Friday and faces up to 33 years in prison.
Ohtani, who couldn’t pitch in 2024 while he recovered from elbow surgery, wasn’t bothered at the plate. He became the first player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs (54) and 50 stolen bases (59) in the same season, while hitting a career-best .310 en route to his third career MVP Award.
His spectacular season ended with his first World Series title, as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (L) and his dad, star forward LeBron James, became the first father-son duo to appear in an NBA regular-season game on October 22 in Los Angeles. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
LeBron, Bronny James make historic father-son debut
For years, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has said he wanted to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny. On Oct. 22, the future Hall of Famer’s wish was granted.
James, 39, and Bronny, 20, became the first father and son in NBA history to play together in a regular-season game during a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bronny, who sustained a cardiac arrest in July while at the University of Southern California, overcame that obstacle and went on to become a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He has appeared in seven games for the Lakers, scoring a total of four points, while splitting time with the South Bay Lakers, a G League affiliate of the NBA franchise.
Bronny scored a career-high 30 points for in the South Bay Lakers’ loss to the Valley Suns on Thursday in Tempe, Ariz. His famous father is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game during his 22nd NBA season.
Coco Gauff took over as the top-ranked American female or male tennis player in 2024. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Coco Gauff tops American tennis
Once viewed as a teen phenom with strong potential, Coco Gauff fully arrived in 2024.
The tennis star from Delray Beach, Fla., became the top-ranked American women’s or men’s singles player, with her rise to No. 2 in the WTA rankings in June. Gauff, 20, captured her first WTA 500- and 1000-level crowns before using her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 U.S. Open to climb from No. 6 to No. 3.
She started her 2024 year with additional deep runs, including a semifinal trek at the 2024 French Open, to move to No. 2, the highest ranking of her career. Gauff went 54-17 and captured three singles titles in 2024.
She also cashed in for more than $9 million in prize money on the singles circuit, made her Olympic debut and became the youngest athlete in history to serve as an American flag bearer at an Olympics.
Gauff added a WTA Finals title and $4.8 million prize to her trophy case in November, pushing her 2024 earnings to more than $30 million in estimated prize money and endorsements, more than any other female athlete in the world.
Top 4 sports moments to watch in 2025
All-Star outfielder Juan Soto poses for photos after he is introduced during a New York Mets press conference on Thursday at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y. Photo by Corey Sipkin/UPI
Juan Soto’s Mets
The New York Mets grabbed former free agent Juan Soto out of the New York Yankees’ grasp with a $765 million contract earlier this month, making the star outfielder the highest-paid player in MLB history.
With that cash, fans and critics most likely will flock to Citi Field and to screens around the world to see if the Mets’ big bet on the big bat pays off.
The Mets probably will lean on Soto during their quest toward the postseason, hoping to capture their first World Series since 1986. The Yankees, who used Soto’s 41 home runs and 109 RBIs to advance to the World Series for the eighth time in 29 seasons, but fell short of glory, now need to fill a major gap in their batting order.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes could help the Kansas City Chiefs become the first team in NFL history to win three-consecutive Super Bowl titles. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Chiefs three-peat
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs already achieved a dynasty designation, with three Super Bowl titles over the last five seasons. In February, they became just the ninth team in league history to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.
They can rise into rarer air in 2025 if they again end the season hoisting the silver hardware while being showered in confetti, as no NFL team has ever won three-consecutive Super Bowls.
Unlike in previous years, Mahomes’ Chiefs needed a little luck to escape with close victories throughout the 2024 regular season, with 10 wins by seven points or fewer through 14 weeks. They had four such games in 2023 and seven in 2022, when they ranked inside the Top 10 in offensive yards per game. They rank 15th in that category in 2024.
Super Bowl LIX will be held Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Detroit Lions are currently the favorite to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are among the other expected contenders.
Coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are among the teams competing in the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff. File Photo by Mike Goulding/UPI
College Football Playoff
The expanded College Football Playoff system is set to start, with a dozen teams in the picture for the first time. Indiana and Notre Dame will launch the first round Friday, with those games set to be held on the home campuses of better-seeded teams. Four first-round winners will advance to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal round, which will commence the Fiesta Bowl — the lone playoff game held Dec. 31.
Another trio of quarterfinals — the Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl — will open the new year Jan. 1. Two semifinalists will meet Jan. 9 at the Orange Bowl, while the other two face off Jan. 10 at the Cotton Bowl. The first champion from the 12-team College Football Playoff will be crowned after the Jan. 20 finale in Atlanta.
The top-ranked Oregon Ducks (13-0) are the national title favorites, followed by the Texas Longhorns (11-2), Georgia Bulldogs (11-2), Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) and Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2).
Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is expected to be among the top Americans competing in the 2026 Winter Games. File Photo by Rick T. Wilking/UPI
Preparation for World Cup, Winter Olympics
The United States will host a men’s FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1994 in 2026, which means sports fans will see preparation continue across the country in 2025 ahead of the major event. Games will be held in 11 U.S. cities, in addition to sites in Mexico and Canada.
Security efforts most likely will be of the utmost importance, especially after the chaotic scenes that emerged from the 2024 Copa America finale, which was held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fans there stormed through the stadium gates, resulting in injuries, property damage, lawsuits and harsh criticism from around the world aimed at organizers, hosts and others tasked with controlling the crowd.
Hard Rock Stadium will host matches throughout the 2026 World Cup group stage, Round of 32 and the quarterfinals, as well as the bronze medal match. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., will host the 2026 finale.
Major planning and preparation also will continue in 2025 for the 2026 Winter Games, with Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy serving as the main hosts.
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, snowboader Chloe Kim, bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, figure skaters Ilia Malinin and Nathan Chen, and Alpine Skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, who recently came out of retirement, are among the decorated Team USA athletes to watch in 2025, when many qualifying events will be held for the 2026 Winter Games.
Simone Biles of Team USA performs on the uneven bars during the Women’s all-around gymnastics final at the Summer Olympics in Paris on August 1, 2024. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
