The most influential female athletes right now

Inspiring young girls around the world

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Some women transcend sports with their influence and popularity, inspiring young girls around the world. Let's take a look at the most influential women in sport in 2025.

Alisha Lehmann

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Alisha Lehmann boasts over 16 million followers on Instagram, with fans from around the world following the Juventus and Switzerland footballer. She may not be a regular in the Juve first team, but she played her part in a trophy winning season.

Coco Gauff

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

At just 21, Coco Gauff is the latest American woman to arrive on the tennis scene and dominate. She already has singles and doubles Grand Slam wins under her belt, and won Roland Garros for the first time in 2025.

Summer McIntosh

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Summer McIntosh is only 18, but is the next big thing in swimming. She is a multiple Olympic and World champion and has several world records to her name. The sky seems to be the limit for the Toronto-born swimmer.

Caitlin Clark

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

The Indiana Fever star is so popular, she has changed the entire WNBA. The ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ is a noted phenomenon where her mere presence has been enough to dramatically increase viewership of the league. For anyone who followed her college basketball career, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Her 3.2 million Instagram followers show just how popular she is, too.

Gabby Thomas

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Gabby Thomas has risen to the top of her sport in recent years, winning three gold medals at last year’s Paris Olympics. She has become one of the best sprinters in the world, showcasing her versatility by winning the 200m, the 4 x 100m, and the 4 x 400m. Popularity has followed, with over a million followers on Instagram.

Alexia Putellas

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Putellas may have been slightly overshadowed by her teammate Aitana Bonmati in the past couple of seasons, but there is no denying Putellas’ influence on women’s football. The Barcelona midfielder has won almost everything there is to win in the sport, including two Ballon d’Or trophies.

Eileen Gu

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

The incredibly talented Eileen Gu already has two Olympic and two World Championship gold medals to her name, aged just 21. Away from the slopes, the Chinese skier has also been on the cover of Vogue and appeared in Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Another American runner whose star continues to rise, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone specializes in the 400m hurdles, but is more than adept at the longer sprints too, winning a 200m race at a Diamond League meet last year. At 25, she still has plenty of time to add to her incredibly impressive resume.

Smriti Mandhana

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Smriti Mandhana is one of the best women cricketers on the planet, scoring bulk runs in every format around the world. As vice-captain of the Indian side, she has the eyes of well over a billion people on her whenever she competes.

Ilona Maher

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

Probably the most famous rugby player on the planet, Ilona Maher has amassed over 2 million followers on Instagram as she documents her playing career. The American is a dominant force on the field, and an influential one off it.

Ariarne Titmus

Inspiring young girls around the world, Alisha Lehmann, Coco Gauff, Summer McIntosh, Caitlin Clark, Gabby Thomas, Alexia Putellas, Eileen Gu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Smriti Mandhana, Ilona Maher, Ariarne Titmus

The Aussie freestyle swimmer was able to break Katie Ledecky’s stranglehold on the sport, beating her in the 400m at the 2019 World Championships – Ledecky’s first loss in six years, per the Olympics website. Since then, Titmus has won four Olympic gold medals and a host of World Championships.

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