We created a list of the Seven Wonders of the Sporting World (Athletes), which was comprised of only men. Here we have a go at creating a list for the greatest women athletes. We have also created lists of the 7 Wonders of the Sporting World (Venues), and 7 Wonders of the Sporting World (Events).

There are other lists of the greatest women athletes, such as the Bleacher Report list of the Top 50 female athletes ever, and the Sports Illustrated list of the Top 118 Female Athletes, but here we attempt to compress it down to just seven of the greatest, of all time, updated to include athletes from more recent times where there is a growth in women playing sport.

What constitutes a sporting wonder? It is not just skill and sporting results. A wonder must dominate in their chosen sport, be a good sports person, good role model for the sport, and have worldwide appeal so that their profile is known outside of their sporting circles.

Our 7 Female Wonders

As per usual for 7-wonder lists, the seven is listed in no particular order.

  • Serena Williams — One of the greatest female tennis players ever, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and with her sister Venus won Williams won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee — a 4-time Olympian and a 6-time Olympic medalist, with two gold in the heptathlon and one in the long jump. Sports Illustrated voted her the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
  • Babe Didrikson Zaharias — At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won gold in both the 80-meter hurdles and javelin throw, and took silver in the high jump. She won the British Ladies' Amateur golf tournament. She was the first (and still the only) woman in history to make the cut in a regular PGA Tour event. She also achieved All-American status in basketball.
Williams versus Sharapova Wimbledon finalWilliams versus Sharapova Wimbledon final
  • Annika Sorenstam — she is regarded as one of the best female golfers in history. During her 16-year professional career, she won 72 LPGA tournaments, including 10 majors. She was also eight-time LPGA Player of the Year, and famously competed in a men's tournament.
  • Martina Navratilova — player with the best winning record (man or woman) in tennis history.
  • Mia Hamm — she was a star of the U.S. national team, competing in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments and leading the US team at three Olympic Games.
  • Fanny Blankers-Koen — a sprinter and hurdler who won four gold medals in the 1948 London Olympics. In the post-war years she set or equalled 12 world records in events as diverse as the long jump, the high jump, sprint and hurdling events and the Pentathlon. In 1999 the IAAF voted her the greatest female track and field athlete of the 20th century.

There were a few other names close to making this top 7, such as Nadia Comaneci, Billie Jean King, Ronda Rousey, Bonnie Blair and Lindsey Vonn. What do you think of the final top seven?