Let’s see most famous female athletes around the world, This iconic sportswomen influence society to think out of their stubborn assumptions of stereotypes.
History will testify that Sports have for a long while been the domain of sportsmen with women joining the foray relatively recently. Patriarchal structures did not deem it fit that women or the ‘fairer sex’ should engage in what is seen as rough play. It was for men to get dirty, sweaty, compete and above all women did not have either the stamina or the willpower to prove their strength.
More obvious was the lack of sporting spirit. So, all said and done sports and games were the fields where men held sway. However, with women emancipation gaining ground the story soon changed and before one knew women became predominant legends in the arena of sports.
Who changed the Narrative?
Ambitious and spirited women changed the ballgame. Their focus and sincerity helped them to drastically influence the sport they were keen on. Athleticism was one passion for which women hardly displayed any fervor until the likes of Billie Jean King, Britney Griner, Mia Hamm, Saina Nehwal changed the trajectory making sports from tennis, basketball, football, badminton to name but a few, an obsession for numerous women aspirants.
These women in turn became the inspiration for many more to come and deserve laudation for being able to bring about an enduring change not only in making sports more inclusive but also in changing the popular perception about women’s participation in sports.
Most Popular Female Athletes
Earnest ovation would be when we go down the timeline in history and see who were the first women who had the moral and physical courage to enter the male-dominated world of sports and take it by the storm.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Country: United States
Sports: Basketball
This remarkable woman from the USA won gold in 80 80 Meter hurdles and javelin throw, as well a silver medal in the high jump at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Lose Angeles. She went on to win the 1946 US Women’s Amateur golf tournament and in 1947 she won the British Ladies’ Amateur Golf Tournament. The highpoint of her career was that she became the joint founder of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association in 1949, along with competitive golfer, Patty Berg. She remains the only woman to ever cut a PGA tournament.
Lottie Dod
Country: United Kingdom
Sports: Tennis
Lottie Dod is the youngest woman ever, at the age of 15 to have won the Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Championship. Displaying an athletic diversity, Dod also played for England’s national field hockey as well as Golf. She won the British Ladies’ Amateur golf tournament in 1904. At the 1908 Olympics in London, she won the silver medal in archery and quickly became a female athlete that has impacted the world today.
Billie Jean King
Country: United States
Sports: Tennis
Tennis became a legend when she won a “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973. Pitted against Bobby Riggs the win was phenomenal. She went on to win 12 Grand Slam singles titles and has to her credit of winning a title at a ripe age of 39 and being the oldest woman to ever win a singles tournament. Her tally is commendable she has won 129 singles titles!
Mia Hamm
Country: United States
Sports: Soccer
Mia has to her credit the singularity of winning two of the first four Women’s World Cups. She has in her kitty158 career goals in international competitions- the maximum that a Soccer player has ever secured. 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics, was for Hamm a great experience. She won the Gold medal and was awarded the Woman’s FIFA World Player of the Year for two consecutive years.
Maria Sharapova
Country: Russia
Sports: Tennis
Maria Sharapova is to belittle her. She at one point was easily the 2nd most searched female athlete. She was on five occasions ranked as the number one player. Her remarkable prowess is evident with her score of 34 singles titles.
A statuesque blonde with a megawatt smile with patience, it would be dishonest to say that Sharapova’s stunning hard work and patience haven’t played a role in her success.
Brittney Griner
Country: United States
Sports: Basketball
A legend this woman has made a remarkable contribution to the history of NCAA’s women’s basketball. Her impact on women’s basketball has had a loud and ringing impact.
Danica Patrick
Country: United States
Sports: Car Race
A professional NASCAR driver she made her mark as an influential woman in car racing history. Though she may not have won many races yet one cannot undermine her contribution.
Dawn Staley
Country: United States
Sports: Basketball
It is not always necessary that the woman has to prove herself on the field. Instead, she can coach, direct, train an entire team to win. Yes, Dawn Staley has made her mark as a women’s basketball coach.
Li Na
Country: China
Sports: Tennis
This impeccable tennis player was cited as amongst the100 most famous female athlete in this world. Being the only Asian woman to have won a Grand Slam singles tournament she indeed has done something to be proud of.
Serena Williams
Country: United States
Sports: Tennis
Serena discussed in concurrence with her other contemporaries and friends, she is the one who makes her amazing individual career and wins the world. Serena, who was named the AP’s female athlete of the time in 2013 at age 32, is one of the supreme female athletes of all time.
This American woman has left all the male legends far behind. Proving her mettle as a tennis player she has won many individual Grand Slams Olympic gold medals. This makes her stand out as a sportswoman par excellence.
Saina Nehwal
Country: India
Sports: Badminton
One of the famous and most talented female athletes who are the only women player from India to mark the number one ranking in badminton players in the world is Saina Nehwal. She has many other firsts to her credit. She is one of the youngest Asian athletes to win a four-star tournament and that’s just the slant of the iceberg.
Why Sportswoman Are Unsung?
While the pages of sports history come alive with the name of men sportsperson the world has not been so friendly and discriminatory towards women. Many strived to perform in face of male bias, lack of infrastructural resources and incentives. Many were brutally denied the chance to compete at the Olympics. Yet they refused to be daunted by male autonomy and proved their mettle based on sheer grit, focus and will.
Much like many other male-dominated domains, sports has seen an appreciable influx of participation from women in recent years. Sports like football, cricket and baseball, which are traditionally considered to be male-dominated, now have increased participation from women. However, the gender gap in sports is still large. The fact that men have received greater patronage in sports since the inception is also touted as one of the biggest reasons for this trend.
However, these iconic ladies have been an instrument of change in this rigid narrative which is responsible for confining sports to a particular gender. Whereas some have proved their mettle on the court, others have levelled up to the greatest players in the history of their sport. Some have shattered records and others have broken a glass ceiling which has for long kept women away from mainstream sports.
The story of women’s success
The sportswomen talk about the women who motivate them to stand out of the crowd and give their best in every aspect of life. The female athletes are just like normal women with the extraordinary belief in themselves, they are not afraid to dream big and dream like a man.
The description of women in the media is grim and sombre. The community perception of them is one of the stubborn stereotypes: powerless and demoralized, bereft of even fundamental civil liberties. But in oppose to this stereotype, our sportswomen show the real power of women and why they are called ‘Power of the Universe’.
The fascinating achievements of the sportswomen are in their field and get the under granted response from the media and people but sports women’s never stops and demotivated to quit they come and fight against all stubborn stereotypes and give us the Big lesson of life.
- Be strong
- Be motivated from inside
- Others perspective can change with time
- Never stop for giving your best short
Women of All Times
Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Saina Nehwal and many others are creating history with their participation in a male-dominated domain. Sportswoman and give the amazing opportunity to there nation to proud more of their girls and set the living definition of the real lady.
Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Saina Nehwal are famous athletes in the sports world. They are not just a person, they are the profession that they helped to characterize.
The influence of Saina, Sharapova, Serena is so famous athletes that in today’s time women consider sports as the career and parents take sports just like the other professions.
Female athletes influence our lives to inspire us to reach the pinnacles of productivity. We can learn a lot from these champions who never give up and never care about the perspective of others towards them.