To say that the favourite is always triumphant would be a million miles from the truth. So, why do certain athletes thrive on being the underdog? Sometimes, they say that it is better to chase than be chased, so here are examples of sportspeople who buy into this and wear the underdog tag with pride.
Nick Kyrgios – Tennis
Kyrgios himself has admitted that he struggles with motivation in the early rounds of Grand Slams when he is the clear favourite. Instead, he thrives off the thrill of beating those seeded above him and proving his (many) critics wrong.
Some have even debated that when Kyrgios is struggling, he intentionally turns the crowd against him by arguing with an umpire or throwing a racket to create a back-against-the-wall, everyone-against-me scenario, which is when he plays his best tennis.
Playing on the edge serves Kyrgios well, whose 2022 run to the Wimbledon final was led by defying expectations, beating seeded players and pushing Djokovic all the way in the final, whom most of the crowd inside the arena were supporting.
Tyson Fury – Boxing
Fury has retired from boxing a staggering four times in his career. It seems that it’s when he is most out of shape and least likely to make a successful return to professional boxing that he goes ahead and does just that.
His most notable success was when he reclaimed the heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder, which was achieved after a long battle with obesity, addiction and mental illness. Fury is once again officially retired, but who’s to say that the out-of-sorts former champion won’t struggle onto a treadmill one Monday morning and end up as world champion again a year later?
Lindsey Vonn – Skiing
Vonn, who is aiming for a fifth Winter Olympics in 2026, has had an injury-riddled career, yet she is still one of the most successful alpine ski racers in history. Her 82 World Cup wins, which is a women’s record, and her Olympic gold medal only tells half the story.
After her ACL tear in 2013, doctors said she may never ski again, and fans poked fun at Vonn’s distant dream of making a return, but this didn’t just motivate her – it defined her career.
Von made her comeback in 2014, winning 8 World Cup races that season before taking to social media to admit that when she was a favourite prior to her injury, everyone expected her to win. Still, now that she’s an underdog, she expects herself to win, which is even more powerful.
Luis Suarez – Football
Despite having the natural ability to compete with the world’s best, Suarez made the decision to play the villain throughout his career. After controversial moments, including three biting scandals, multiple diving incidents and a handball off the line to cheat Ghana out of a World Cup semi-final, he was booed almost every time he stepped onto a pitch, but he loved it.
After his second and most famous biting scandal in 2013, he came back as the most talked-about man in football for all the wrong reasons but hit the ground running, terrorising teams up and down the land and turning pantomime boos into fans in awe of his brilliance, despite his flawed character.
Suarez seems to perform better when surrounded by negative discourse, with his rebellious edge motivating him to prove people wrong.
