Female Athletes Who Stunned on the Red Carpet

Many people know Danica Patrick for her high-profile relationship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but Danica is an esteemed sportswoman in her own right. As one of the most famous racing drivers in history, Danica has been able to smash the competition – even when that competition was primarily made up of men. In fact, Danica remains the only woman in history to win an IndyCar Series race. 

In recent years, female soccer stars have finally started getting the credit they deserve. As a result, fans have started to appreciate Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux. As well as earning countless caps over the course of her sporting career, Sydney also has the pleasure of calling herself a gold medal-winning Olympian and Women’s World Cup champion. Now, she even has a hugely impressive Instagram following that allows people to see a different side to her. 

Alex Morgan started playing soccer at a young age, and her father even served as her coach. So, it was only a matter of time before she made her way into the world of professional soccer – and what an impact she has made. Although she’s played for some of the biggest soccer teams in the U.S., her biggest achievement came in 2018 when she was chosen to co-captain the United States national team.

Ronda Rousey is the kind of sportswoman who can do anything. While most people know her as a professional wrestler, it’s important to note that this isn’t the only skill she has under her belt. Ronda also became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo and she’s also built a successful cage fighting career for herself. Of course, we can’t talk about Ronda without mentioning her Hollywood acting career. 

When you think of professional golf stars, you probably think of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Rahm. But the professional golf world is also teeming with female talent – including the one and only Chelsea Pezzola. Although Chelsea has now retired from the sport herself, she’s still a huge name in golf, serves as a golf reporter and golf writer, and is a celebrated media personality. In fact, everyone loves her. 

It’s always interesting to understand what inspired athletes to become athletes, and for McKayla Maroney, it was the movie Tarzan. McKayla wanted to swing through the trees and move around without a care in the world, so she became a gymnast – and the rest is history! Today, she’s remembered as an iconic ‘Fierce Five’ member who helped her team win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 

If you’re a fan of tennis, you’ll know the name Caroline Wozniacki. This Danish tennis player may have set down her racket for the last time in 2019, but she’s still highly regarded as one of the most famous sportswomen of all time – especially when she was ranked world No. 1 in singles in 2010. Since then, Caroline has gone from strength to strength, and now serves as a tennis commentator. 

Did you know that Anna Kournikova has been dating singer Enrique Iglesias for over two decades? The couple even have three children together, but it’s important to note that Anna is so much more than the man she’s dating. The Russian model is also a retired tennis star, and she made a name for herself as a female athlete with a mean serve. Sadly, Anna’s pro career ended abruptly when she suffered multiple injuries. 

Gymnasts are arguably some of the most famous female athletes, but Aly Raisman is a cut above the rest. As the captain of the “Fierce Five,’ Aly led Team USA to victory at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and she is regarded as one of the most famous gymnasts in U.S. history. In fact, she has a whopping six Olympic medals to her name – which means she’s kind of a big deal.

Standing at a whopping 6 ft 4 in, it should come as no surprise to learn that Candace Parker is a former pro basketball player. Often called ‘Ace,’ this female athlete dominated the competition and made her mark on every team she played on – from the Los Angeles Sparks to the Chicago Sky and even the Las Vegas Aces. In fact, she went down in history when she became the first female player to dunk in a NCAA tournament. 

It’s not uncommon for a love of sports to run in the family, but it’s fairly uncommon for two siblings to be equally as talented. However, that’s certainly the case for Brie Bella and Nikki Bella – often known as the Bella twins. The sisters have dominated the wrestling world for decades and have even made their mark as Diva Champions. But while they’re primarily a duo, they have also forged separate careers for themselves. 

If you stopped 10 people on the street and asked them to name their favorite female athlete, there’s a high chance that they would say Serena Williams. This pro tennis player is a legend, and not just because she’s won more tennis competitions than we can count. She’s also a legend because she has been able to stray away from tennis to make a career for herself in pop culture, too. 

Although she hails from Spain, Carmen Jorda has become famous across the globe – and rightly so. The successful race car driver has raced in everything from Formula 1 to GP3 and the Le Mans Series, making her one of the few women to have made such a big impact in the male-dominated sport. But with a race car driver as a dad, it was only a matter of time before Carmen followed in his footsteps.

Sure, her birth name may be Barbara Blank, but most people know this woman as Kelly Kelly. After spending her youth training as a gymnast, learning routines as a cheerleader, and even modeling for swimwear and sun lotion brands, it was a shock to many when Barbara decided to ditch the swimsuits for a wrestling costume. But as soon as she showed her competitors what she had in the tank, it made complete sense. 

Although Ali Krieger retired from the professional soccer world in 2023, there’s no doubt that her legacy will continue. Ali was a hugely talented player, and her multi-faceted talent meant that she also played as either a center back or a right back. And during her time on the soccer field, she had the pleasure of helping her team with two FIFA Women’s World Cups. So, she achieved a lot. 

When she was younger, Anastasia Yankova was obsessed with Xena: Princess Warrior. She made it her mission to become as strong and successful as Xena, and so that’s exactly what she did! Today, the Russian sportswoman is considered one of the most famous female sportswomen of all time, and it helps that everyone thinks that she’s beautiful, too. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why she’s both an MMA fighter and model. 

One thing you might not know about Michelle Waterson is that she never intended to become a fighting queen. When she was younger, she trained in gymnastics and always thought that she would later go pro in the gymnasium. But she discovered a passion unlike anything before when she was introduced to martial arts. Before too long, she was in the ring as a UFC fighter – and she dominated the competition.

With her slim physique and her long legs, Alica Schmidt has the perfect physique for a 400-meter runner. And while she may hail from German, this runner has made a big impression across the pond. In 2017, she was even crowned the “world’s sexiest athlete” by a Canadian magazine, and since then, her social media presence has grown exponentially. Now, everyone knows who she is – and everyone knows what she looks like. 

Camila Giorgi may have grown up in a small Italian town, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the most famous female tennis stars of all time. In fact, she was spurred on every step of the way by her parents, and her father served as her coach while her mom made her tennis outfits for competitions. This allowed her to work her way up the professional ladder alongside her hard hits and aggressive moves. 

Track and field athletes have the potential to become huge figures in the sporting world. This sport is hugely popular in the U.S., and brands love to throw money at those who have the skills to make it big time. If you know anything about her, it won’t surprise you to learn that Allyson Felix was one of those people. To this day, Allyson is still the only woman in history to win six gold medals at the Olympics. 

Hope Solo knew from a young age that she wanted to be an athlete, and it wasn’t long before she realized that her true passion could be found on the soccer field. After playing at a collegiate level, she then turned pro – and she’s now regarded as one of the most famous female soccer stars of all time. And while she’s since retired, she successfully made her mark on the national soccer team for over 15 years during her heyday.

It was clear from a young age that Eugenie Bouchard was going to make it big in the world of tennis. Her parents could afford some of the best tennis coaches in Canada, and she moved to Florida at just 12 years old to train under the pros. This allowed her to work her way up the ranks and make her own mark on the tennis world – and she’s even expanded her range over the years. Today, she’s also a professional pickleball player.

Female athletes often have a lot to prove as they’re always compared to men. But Heather Watson proved that women could do anything when she became the first woman in British history to win a WTA singles championship back in 1998. This put her on the tennis map across the globe, and allowed her the opportunities to enter and win even more competitions. At one point, she was the best British female tennis star.

Miesha Tate is a strong woman through and through. In fact, two people – an elderly woman and a six-year-old girl – credit Miesha for saving their lives when they found themselves in a tricky situation. But outside of her heroism, Miesha is also known for being a strong and tough sportswoman who made her mark in the UFC world. She truly shone in 2011 when she was crowned the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

You don’t need to be a die-hard fan of winter sports to know who Mikaela Shiffrin is. As one of the most decorated alpine skiers of all time, she has proven that she’s a natural on the slopes – and she’s even been able to beat the men in her sport. In fact, Mikaela is the only male or female skier in history to bag 17 World Cup races under her belt in a single winter season. 

Kym Johnson has lived a very interesting life. The Australian native grew up ballroom dancing and eventually became a pro on the popular television show Dancing With the Stars. And while this is enough to thrust her into the limelight and make her a celebrity in her own right, the fact that she’s married to a millionaire businessman is another reason. So, Kym is now one of the most famous female athletes of all time. 

As one of the greatest beach volleyball players of all time, many people don’t really know what Jen Kessy looks like off the beach court and without her volleyball outfit on. But we’re here to tell you that she scrubs up extremely well – even though she rarely makes red carpet appearances now that she’s a mom and has her kids to focus on. But before she retired, she was a red carpet regular. 

When you have a name like April Ross and have incredible beach volleyball skills, you should know that it’s only a matter of time before people start calling you “The Boss.” Well, that’s exactly what beach volleyball fans call April, and that title is well-deserved. With silver and bronze Olympic medals under her belt and countless other wins under her belt, she was also an MVP for four years on the trot.

If you love winter sports, there’s a high chance that you’re familiar with Kelly Clark. After all, she’s one of the most famous snowboarders of all time and competed in almost 200 events. Out of nearly 200 events, she won 78 of them! This allowed her to rise to the top and bag everything from endorsements to product lines and more. This has helped her to retain her fame and fortune since retiring in 2019.

With a name like Silje Norendal, you probably don’t need us to tell you that this female athlete is from Norway. But what’s she famous for, we hear you ask? Well, Silje is a hugely talented snowboarder who has won countless competitions and proved to be a hefty force on the slopes – despite having such a dainty frame. Sadly, she doesn’t have any Olympic medals, but she has many others. 

Although Skylar Diggins-Smith grew up playing all kinds of sports, it was basketball that really took her fancy. With her natural talent in tow, she was able to play at a collegiate level before being drafted in 2013. Since then, she’s played for Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and her current team, Seattle Storm. She’s a much-loved player on the team, too, as her teammates and fans alike love her bubbly personality and fashion sense.

Although Lauren Sesselmann is, first and foremost, a soccer player, it’s fair to say that she has many other strings to her bow. She’s an extremely talented female athlete and spends her free time working as a personal trainer and creating her own workout videos. This determination and drive to succeed is what’s pushed her to become a much-loved member of the Canadian national team and an Olympic medal winner.

Stephanie Rice is a legend Down Under. As if winning three gold medals during the 2008 Olympics for Australia wasn’t enough, she was later honored by her country and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her achievements. Since then, she’s become somewhat of a celebrity outside of her sporting ability, too. She’s even appeared on a few reality shows in her home country to maintain her place in the spotlight.

Snowboarders are generally regarded as some of the coolest people out there. They’re known for being super chill and laid-back, and that’s certainly the case for Elena Hight. This laid-back mentality hasn’t stopped her from breaking records, though, as Helena became the first snowboarder in history to land a double-backside alley-oop rodeo in both a training and competition setting. She also has a gold Winter X Games medal under her belt.

One look at Amanda Nunes will prove that she’s not a woman to be messed with. Strong and tough, she’s one of the most impressive MMA fighters in the industry. And while she has made waves for women over the years and became the first female in history to become a two-division champion, she has also made waves in a male-dominated sport. In fact, she’s beaten almost every man in terms of rankings over the years. 

Although many female gymnasts have been able to work their way up to legendary status, Gabby Douglas was one of the first – and she’s generally regarded as the gymnast who paved the way for the likes of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. In fact, Gabby Douglas was the first African-American gymnast in the history of gymnastics to become an all-around champion, and this allowed her to become a huge name in popular culture. 

Anastasia Ashley’s rise to the top is truly incredible. Although she’s now considered to be one the best female athletes of all time, there was once a time when she was a complete novice. In fact, Anastasia was inspired to start surfing when her family moved to Hawaii – but without the funds to support her, she had to train on a second-hand board she found in the trash can. 

Maia Shibutani is one-half of the “Shib Sibs,” a figure skating duo made up of Maia and her brother Alex. The siblings have been skating together since they were little, and their ability to skate in sync has been celebrated within the sport as a whole. As a result, they have two Olympic medals to their names – and it’s believed that there will be even more in the future.