The top 13 Most Popular Female Athletes in the world

Do you want to know who are the most popular female athletes in the world right now?

If yes, this article might just be perfect for you!

We all know that being an athlete is not as easy as it seems. Likewise, it takes hard work, patience, and physical and emotional strength regardless of the sport.

As the world perceives “sports” as something only men are suitable for, some women have broken the stereotype and made their way to become the most prominent athletes in the world.

Not only have these women become successful, but they are trendy for their remarkable contribution to sports.

Hence, without further ado, let’s take a look at the 13 most popular female athletes in the world!

13 Most Popular Female Athletes in the world

Here is a quick preview of the current most popular female athletes based on their performances, achievements, and net worth.

13. Allyson Felix

12. Hayley Wickenheiser

11. Alex Morgan

10. Simone Biles

9. Annika Sörenstam

8. Danica Patrick

7. Maria Sharapova

6. Li Na

5. Ronda Rousey

4. Alexis DeJoria

3. Anna Kournikova

2. Naomi Osaka

1. Serena Williams

Now, read the further article to get to know more about them!

13. Allyson Felix

Allyson Michelle Felix is an American track and field sprinter known for her excellence in sprinting skills.

Primarily, Felix started her career with 200 meters sprint, being Olympic Champion for it in 2012, and gradually improvised to the 400 meters sprint, for which she became the world champion in 2015.

Felix at the Doha Diamond League after her 200M win.
Felix at the Doha Diamond League after her 200M win.

 Quick Fact: She remains the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic Gold Medals.

Similarly, she has won numerous medals throughout her career, making her one of the best female athletes.

Apart from that, Felix has launched her own footwear company called Saysh in June 2021.

Hence, she has an estimated net worth of $4.5 Million.

12. Hayley Wickenheiser

Wickenheiser is a former Canadian hockey player and remains the first woman to play full-time professionals men’s hockey securing a position other than a goalie.

On top of that, she is also a resident physician and an executive for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Wickenheiser in Calgary, Alberta on May 27, 2014.
Wickenheiser in Calgary, Alberta on May 27, 2014.

Talking about her hockey career, she was a prominent member of the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team for 23 years until her retirement in 2017.

Likewise, she is one of the few hockey players to win the most gold medals of any Canadian Olympian, making her inarguably one of the best in the world.

In addition, this hockey champion was elected to the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete’s Commission on February 20, 2014.

Nonetheless, Wickenheiser made good fortune primarily from her hockey career, with a total net worth of $3 million as of 2021.

11. Alex Morgan

Alexandra Morgan Carrasco is a famous American soccer player, where she mainly plays for the Orlando Pride.

Morgan initially entered the soccer world by making a professional debut in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash, where she helped the team win the league championship.

Morgan before the international friendly against England.
Morgan before the international friendly against England.

Similarly, at the young age of 22 years old, she played for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, securing a position for first runner-up.

Moreover, she was named the U.S Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. She was a finalist for FIFA World Player of the year due to her remarkable performances at the 2012 London Olympics and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and some major leagues.

Likewise, Morgan also helped the U.S win its titles in the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was inducted into their Dream Team.

In short, she had a very successful career as she is regarded as one of the best female soccer players of all time.

Subsequently, in 2015, she was the top-paid American Female Soccer Player and was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019.

She has an estimated net worth of $4.6 million.

10. Simone Biles

Simone Ariana Biles is an American Artistic Gymnast who started her career at 14 years old and has been dominating the Gymnastic world with her astounding performances ever since.

Biles at the 2016 Olympics.
Biles at the 2016 Olympics.

Biles has won a total of 32 Olympic and World Championships medals, being undeniably one of the greatest gymnasts in the world.

Likewise, she is the first female gymnast after Daniela Silvas to win a medal on every Olympic Games or World Championships.

Moreover, Biles recently won bronze on the balance beam and silver with the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo after suffering from twisties.

Nonetheless, this renowned personality has a total net worth of $6 million.

9. Annika Sörenstam

Annika Charlotta Sörenstam is a former Swedish professional golfer.

She won 90 international tournaments altogether, having the most wins to her name as a female golfer.

Sörenstam during LPGA Championship 2008 in Maryland.
Sörenstam during LPGA Championship 2008 in Maryland.

Interesting fact: She is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition.

Sörenstam has won 72 LPGA tournaments, including ten majors, 18 major international tournaments.

On top of that, she remains the winner of a record eight Player of the year awards.

This amazing golfer played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament in 2003, becoming the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since 1945.

Furthermore, she is the president of the International Golf Federation with a whopping net worth of $40 million.

On  7 January 2021, Sörenstam received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Donald Trump.

8. Danica Patrick

Danica Sue Patrick is an American professional racing driver, famous for her impeccable driving skills.

She first entered into the world of racing at the age of ten years old via karting, winning major titles as a racer ever since.

Patrick in 2010.
Patrick in 2010.

Patrick had a very successful racing career through which she made a huge name for herself in American open-wheel racing.

Likewise, she is the only woman to gain victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 in an IndyCar Series race.

Furthermore, Patrick has a strong fanbase where she was voted for several awards.

For example, the Most popular IndyCar Series driver from 2005 to 2010 and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver in 2012.

Hence, she has an astounding net worth of $80 million.

7. Maria Sharapova

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a former Russian tennis player who is the first Russian woman to win major titles at Wimbledon.

Sharapova started her tennis career at an early age. However, she hit the spotlight after winning the 2004 Wimbledon women’s singles titles.

Maria Sharapova of Russia after her quarter-final match at the 2017 Tianjin Open WTA International tennis tournament.
Maria Sharapova of Russia after her quarter-final match at the 2017 Tianjin Open WTA International tennis tournament.

Likewise, she became the only Russian woman to acquire Grand Slam’s career and earn a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Sharapova was ranked world No. 1 by the WTA, becoming one of the biggest rivals of Serena Williams.

However, in March 2016, she disclosed that she was tested positive for mildronate, which she had taken for medicinal purposes since 2006.

Consequently, she was suspended from playing tennis for 15 months, but soon after, she was back on the court.

Apart from that, she has been a prominent figure in the world of tennis, with a total net worth of $196 million.

6. Li Na

Li Na is another professional tennis champion from China who is the first woman from Asia to play in a Grand Slam singles finals.

The former tennis player achieved a career-high WTA ranking of world No. 2 on 17 February 2014.

Li Na in Sydney, 2007.
Li Na in Sydney, 2007.

Likewise, she has won nine WTA Tour singles titles over her career, including two Grand Slam Singles titles at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open.

However, she gained massive popularity after winning a WTA tour title at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open in 2004.

Similarly, Li was the first to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, being the first to break into the world’s top ten.

Role model for many, this tennis star is one of the most marketable personalities with a net worth of $50 million.

5. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Jean Rousey is an American professional wrestler, retired MMA fighter, and judoka.

This MMA champion is widely known for her fights in UFC and for being a prominent figure as a WWE wrestler.

Rousey at the induction ceremony.
Rousey at the induction ceremony.

She took time off of wrestling in April 2019 and shifted towards MMA, where she fought 14 matches and won 12.

With the marvelous success of the UFC, she also managed to set her foot in Hollywood and television shows.

Furthermore, Rousey has a total net worth of $13 million.

4. Alexis DeJoria

DeJoria is a professional American drag racer who began her NHRA career primarily competing in the Super Gas category.

Likewise, she currently competes in the NHRA Funny Car category.

Alexis DeJoria in 2011.
Alexis DeJoria in 2011.

This brilliant racer built her own racing team called Stealth Motorsports in 2009.

She also won her first-ever NHRA national event win in TA/FC, becoming the second woman ever to do so.

Nevertheless, DeJoria will return to competitive racing in 2020.

Currently, she has an estimated net worth of $125 million.

3. Anna Kournikova

Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a professional Russian tennis player who gained immense stardom despite not winning a singles title.

However, the former tennis star achieved greater success playing doubles, due to which she was sometimes ranked World No.1.

Anna Kournikova during the semi-finals of a double match in Sydney WTA tournament in 2002.
Anna Kournikova during the semi-finals of a double match in Sydney WTA tournament in 2002.

Apart from being a tennis player, Kournikova is also a famous model and television personality.

In that regard, she was widely popular for her appearance leading many fans to look up her images on the internet.

However, she retired from tennis in 2003 yet managed to become one of the prominent faces in sports with a net worth of $50 million.

2. Naomi Osaka

Osaka is a former professional Japanese tennis player who is the first Asian woman to hold the top ranking in singles.

The Women’s Tennis Association ranked her No. 1 for her unbeatable performances in tennis.

Naomi Osaka in 2020.
Naomi Osaka in 2020.

Apparently, this reigning tennis star is also a four-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Additionally, she happens to be the first woman to win successive Grand Slam singles titles since Serena Williams in 2015.

Therefore, she is one of the world’s most marketable athletes.

Osaka was also the highest-earning female athlete of all time by annual income in 2020.

Her current net worth is $60 million.

1. Serena Williams

On the first spot, we have a former professional American tennis champion, Serena Jameka Williams.

From revolutionizing women’s tennis via her strong way of playing to being the only female tennis player to win major titles, she has done it all.

Williams in 2013.
Williams in 2013.

This prominent tennis player was ranked world No. 1 on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017.

Nonetheless, Williams is the only tennis player to have won three of the four grand slams at least 6 times, making her undoubtedly the best of all time.

Moreover, she is the only player to achieve a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.

In 2016, she was the highest-paid female athlete.

Therefore, this tennis star is the most popular female athlete of all time, with an astounding net worth of $225 million.

You can also follow her on Twitter to know more about her.

 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *