1953 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
American football
- NFL Championship: the Detroit Lions won 17–16 over the Cleveland Browns at Briggs Stadium
Association football
England
- First Division – Arsenal win the 1952–53 title.
- FA Cup – Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4–3 in what is known as "The Matthews Final", although it is Stan Mortensen who scores a winning hat-trick for Blackpool.
- England lose 6–3 to Hungary at Wembley Stadium their first ever loss to a team from Continental Europe at home.
Scotland
- Coronation Cup (football) – Celtic beat Hibernian 2–0 at Hampden Park.
Spain
- La Liga won by Barcelona F.C.
Italy
- Serie A won by F.C. Internazionale Milano
West Germany
- German football championship won by 1. FC Kaiserslautern
France
- French Division 1 won by Stade de Reims
Portugal
- Primeira Liga won by Sporting C.P.
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- 23 May: Fitzroy, against a brilliant Footscray defence, kick the lowest VFL/AFL score since 1899, 1.0 (6) to 10.6 (66). Fitzroy seemed doomed to the first 0.0 (0) score in VFL history until Allan Ruthven scored a goal with ten minutes to go.
- 4 July: Geelong beats Collingwood’s previous record of 20 consecutive wins, beating 12.14 (86) to 13.7 (85).
- 1 August: Collingwood ends a run of 26 unbeaten games (including a draw with ) by Geelong, beating them 10.15 (75) to 7.13 (55)
- 26 September: Collingwood wins the 57th VFL Premiership, beating Geelong 11.11 (77) to 8.17 (65)
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Hutchison (Essendon)
- South Australian National Football League:
- 3 October: West Torrens wins the last of its four SANFL premierships, beating Port Adelaide 9.13 (67) to 8.12 (60)
- Magarey Medal won by Jim Deane (South Adelaide)
- Western Australian National Football League:
- 8 August: Bernie Naylor kicks a WANFL record 23 goals against , including twelve in one quarter.
- 10 October: win their second consecutive premiership and seventh overall, beating 18.12 (120) to 8.13 (61)
- Sandover Medal awarded to Merv McIntosh (Perth)
Baseball
- World Series – New York Yankees won 4 games to 2 over the Brooklyn Dodgers
- The Boston Braves of the National League moved to Milwaukee, becoming the first MLB franchise to relocate in 50 years.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Indiana wins 69–68 over Kansas
- NBA Finals –
- Minneapolis Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks
- The eighth European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1953, is won by the Soviet Union.
- The fifteenth South American Basketball Championship in Montevideo is won by Uruguay.
Boxing
- September 24 in New York City – Rocky Marciano retains his World Heavyweight title with a TKO over Roland La Starza in the 11th round.
- October in New York City – Bobo Olson scored a 15-round decision over Randy Turpin to win the World Middleweight Championship
Bowling
Nine-pin bowling
- Nine-pin bowling World Championships –
- Men's champion: Alfred Beierl, Austria
- Women's champion: Jelena Šincek, Yugoslavia
- Men's team champion: Yugoslavia
- Women's team champion: Austria
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats win 12–6 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Cricket
England
- County Championship – Surrey
- Minor Counties Championship – Berkshire
- Most runs – Bill Edrich 2557 @ 47.35 (HS 211)
- Most wickets – Bruce Dooland 172 @ 16.58 (BB 7–19)
- Wisden Cricketers of the Year – Keith Miller, Neil Harvey, Johnny Wardle, Willie Watson, Tony Lock
Australia
- Sheffield Shield – South Australia
- Most runs – Neil Harvey 1659 @ 63.80 (HS 205)
- Most wickets – Hugh Tayfield 70 @ 27.91 (BB 7–71)
- South Africa make their first tour of Australia since 1931–32, and tie the five-Test series two-all with one draw
India
- Ranji Trophy – Holkar
New Zealand
- Plunket Shield – Otago
- Following their Australian tour, South Africa tour New Zealand, winning a two-Test series one-nil with one draw
South Africa
- Currie Cup – not contested
West Indies
- India make their first tour of the West Indies, losing a five-test series 0–1 with four draws.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Fausto Coppi of Italy
- Tour de France – Louison Bobet of France
- UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Fausto Coppi of Italy
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Hayes Alan Jenkins, United States
- Ladies’ champion: Tenley Albright, United States
- Pair skating champions: Jennifer Nicks & John Nicks, Great Britain
- Ice dancing champions: Jean Westwood & Lawrence Demmy, Great Britain
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Ben Hogan
- U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
- PGA Championship – Walter Burkemo
- British Open – Ben Hogan
- PGA Tour money leader – Lew Worsham – $34,002
- Ryder Cup – United States wins 6½ to 5½ over the British team.
Men's amateur
- British Amateur – Joe Carr
- U.S. Amateur – Gene Littler
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open – Louise Suggs
- U.S. Women's Open – Betsy Rawls
- Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg
- LPGA Tour money leader – Louise Suggs – $19,816
Harness racing
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Keystoner
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Helicopter
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Captain Sandy
Horse racing
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – Knock Hard
- Grand National – Early Mist
Hurdle races
- Champion Hurdle – Sir Ken
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Wodalla
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Canadiana
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by La Sorellina
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Chamier
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Nearula
- The Derby – Pinza
- St. Leger Stakes – Premonition
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Dark Star
- Preakness Stakes – Native Dancer
- Belmont Stakes – Native Dancer
Ice hockey
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Sweden defeated West Germany and Switzerland.
- Canada did not participate in the World Hockey Championship, the government claiming it was not worth the expense.
- Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 1 over the Boston Bruins
- Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Michigan Wolverines defeat University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 7–3 in Colorado Springs, CO
- HC Kometa Brno was founded in South Moravian Region, Czechoslovakia, present day of Czech Republic.
Motorsport
Rugby league
- 1952–53 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France
- 1952–53 European Rugby League Championship / 1953–54 European Rugby League Championship
- 1953 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
- 1953 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1953 NSWRFL season
- 1952–53 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season
Rugby union
- 59th Five Nations Championship series is won by England
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 37–34
Tennis
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Ken Rosewall (Australia) defeats Mervyn Rose (Australia) 6–0, 6–3, 6–4
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly Brinker (USA) defeats Julia Sampson Hayward (USA) 6–3, 6–2
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Vic Seixas (USA) defeats Kurt Nielsen (Denmark) 9–7, 6–3, 6–4
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly Brinker (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 8–6, 7–5
France
- French Men's Singles Championship – Ken Rosewall (Australia) defeats Vic Seixas (USA) 6–3, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2
- French Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–2, 6–4
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Tony Trabert (USA) defeats Vic Seixas (USA) 6–3, 6–2, 6–3
- American Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–2, 6–4
Events
- Maureen Connolly becomes the first woman to win the Grand Slam in tennis.
Davis Cup
- 1953 Davis Cup – 3–2 at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia
Multi-sport events
- Pan Arab Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Ben Hogan, PGA golf
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Maureen Connolly, Tennis