From Simone Biles to Smriti Mandhana, discover the top women in sports transforming the way people see the game and learn how their stories inspire millions.

Sporting activities always have the amazing ability of altering our minds in some unexpected way. A young girl watches a basketball game and suddenly becomes interested in WNBA. A teenager sees a skateboarder doing something that looks impossible and thinks, “Maybe I can do that too.” That kind of positive influence is the power of sport.

The world of women’s sports is currently experiencing popularity. It’s not just about who got the gold medal or trophy anymore. People are watching more games, buying more tickets, following athletes on social media, becoming their fans and listening to their stories. Also, brands have become aware of this situation and are coming into sponsorship agreements and finding new ways to do business.

This Business Fortune feature brings together 10 women from very different sports who are making their mark both on and off the field.

What Makes an Athlete Truly Influential?

Of course winning is important but that’s not everything. There are four important criteria for this list. First is sporting excellence. These women have proved themselves at the highest level. Second is influence outside competition. They have something to say, and people listen. The third is their impact on business and culture. Their popularity can bring new fans, sponsors, media attention, and money into their sports. And finally, there is inspiration. The best athletes often make someone younger look at them and think, “I want to do that too.”

Top 10 Women Athletes 2026

  1. Simone Biles | Gymnastics, USA

Everyone who has been following gymnastics in the last ten years has certainly come across the name Simone Biles. Even if you are someone who doesn’t like gymnastics, you have probably heard about this gymnast at least once in your life.

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of all time. She has won seven gold medals and has performed routines which none could even dream of doing.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from some of her events due to her mental state and “twisties” which all gymnasts suffer from. It was indeed a tough choice for her to take especially when the entire world was watching her.

This changed how people discussed athletes. Simone showed everyone that looking after yourself mentally is not a sign of weakness. This is something that top women athletes must do. In the future, she went back into competitions and took part in the 2024 Paris Olympic games.

  1. Caitlin Clark | Basketball, USA

What Caitlin Clark has done is what any sport organization dreams of doing. She has managed to attract more fans. Prior to becoming a part of the WNBA, Clark was already a celebrity at the University of Iowa where her ability to make three-pointers, ball skills, and competitiveness made her a hot topic.

Clark was picked by the Indiana Fever team as the top choice in the WNBA 2024 draft. The games Clark participates in draw in very large crowds as well as good television ratings.

Clark has done well in creating a fan base not only for herself but also for her teammates as well as for women’s basketball in general. This is important because the popularity of one individual can lead to a lot of benefits for the sport as a whole.

And Clark is still producing on the court. In 2026, she has continued to put up strong numbers, including more than 22 points and eight assists per game through August 23.

  1. Coco Gauff | Tennis, USA

Since the teenage years, Coco Gauff has been known to the world. However, being popular while still young is not everything. Maintaining the top position is another challenge. Luckily, Gauff has achieved both.

Her first ever Grand Slam title came in the form of the US Open singles in 2023. She then went on to win her first French Open title in 2025, indicating her ability to win on different courts and against some of the best in the world. She then won the Cincinnati Open tournament in August 2026, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final.

Gauff is young, confident and comfortable speaking about things outside sport. That gives her a strong connection with younger fans who see athletes as more than people they watch for two hours on a court.

  1. Aitana Bonmatí | Football, Spain

Aitana Bonmati is a Barcelona player who draws attention from the way she plays and understands the game. She uses quick passes and positioning skills to dominate in some situations. Her style of play has made her one of the most famous figures in the game currently. In 2025, she was awarded the third ballon dor. Also, the teams managed to win some trophies and got to the champions league finals. It looks like the entire level of attention has increased simultaneously.

There are more people coming to watch the games. Clubs invest more money in their female teams,and companies begin to pay attention. Girls can relate to these players as real stars of the game.

  1. Eileen Gu | Freestyle Skiing, China

Eileen Gu is a freestyle skier, Olympian, model, fashion icon and one of the most recognizable young athletes competing in winter sports.

Gu claimed gold in women’s halfpipe and silvers in big air and slopestyle events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. It increased her number of Olympic medals to six and made her the most famous freestyle skier ever.

Gu has a close bond with a younger generation and works with fashion and lifestyle brands. Gu has shown how an athlete may successfully transition between sport, fashion, media and popular culture and still remain in the world of sports.

  1. Alysa Liu | Figure Skating, USA

While Alysa Liu has an amazing success story, her story isn't just usual like an athlete rising to the top of their chosen sport. This is a story of a comeback. The time when Liu made her comeback from competitive skating was when she was in her teens. Not all the athletes manage to come back after making this decision. This is what Liu managed to do and in such an amazing way that she won the World Championship in 2025 and then competed in the Milano Cortina Olympics in 2026 where she won the gold medal in both women's singles and team events.

She became the first female American after 2002 who won the Olympic gold medal in women's singles. At the start of August in 2026, Liu stated that she will take the 2026-27 season off to improve her skating and artistry skills before coming back into the game in 2027-28 season. Everybody believes that an athlete must compete all the time but what she wants is to become her better self.

  1. Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting, India

Mirabai Chanu has become a major person in women’s sports in India. Her story is even greater considering the fact that weightlifting has not been among the popular sports in India until now.

She has won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo 2020 and has earned medals at World Championships and Commonwealth Games. In 2025, she participated in World Weightlifting Championships and won a silver medal in the 48kg weight category. In 2026, she won another gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Chanu is a role model for young Indian women who would never have thought about entering a Weightlifting game. She has proved that women are strong, competitive and comfortable playing games which were only played by men in the past.

  1. Rayssa Leal | Skateboarding, Brazil

Skateboarding is the sport that Rayssa Leal had been practicing from early childhood. She got popular on the internet when she was still very young and managed to prove herself as a serious competitor and not just yet another viral sensation. Today, she is called one of the most prominent women's street skaters in the world.

The athlete won a silver medal at the Olympics in Tokyo and a bronze medal at the Olympics in Paris 2024. Besides, Rayssa has had great achievements in other top-notch international skateboarding tournaments. What is interesting about this sportswoman is the connection between her and young people. The sport of skateboarding has an altogether different aura compared to many other sports. It is associated with music, fashion, and street/youth culture. Leal is a natural fit in such an environment. A girl fan will not just see an Olympian but someone from her own generation who is enjoying herself and competing in the sport.

  1. Katie Ledecky | Swimming, USA

While many sports persons became famous due to one single great accomplishment, Katie Ledecky has built her career through hard work throughout the years. Katie Ledecky is among the accomplished distance swimmers in the world.

By the time Ledecky participated in 2025 World Aquatics Championships, she had won 30 medals in World Championships. Additionally, she won her eighth consecutive 800m freestyle title during this championship. Likewise, her world record in 1,500m freestyle is quite impressive considering that she owns five of the fastest times in that event.

The difference with Ledecky is that her permanence. Every year, there are new young swimmers coming up but she finds a way to stay competitive. There is a lot you can learn from such a career, that true greatness always lies in consistency.

  1. Smriti Mandhana | Cricket, India

Smriti Mandhana needs no introduction to millions of cricket followers from India. The left-handed cricketer has become a celebrity in women’s cricket. She has earned the status of a celebrity due to her batting skills and helped make women’s cricket a much more known sport alongside other sports.

Mandhana has scored the most international runs in a single year, 1,703, by any female cricketer in the world. Mandhana is among the four female cricketers who have made 10,000 international runs. Moreover, Mandhana played a key role in helping India win its first Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy in 2025. During the Women’s World Cup, Mandhana scored 434 runs, the record high for any single World Cup.

This achievement took place at an important time in the history of women’s cricket in India. The Women's Premier League has given players more exposure, while broadcasters, sponsors, and fans are paying much more attention to the women's game.

Sports Can Change Lives

Women sports have increasingly become a big thing in the business sector. There are more investments in women athletes, more games getting to TV or streaming screens and more people attending sporting activities. Also, women athletes are providing new ways through which brands can reach out to the audience. An example is women's basketball. In 2026, the women's 3 on 3 basketball league referred to as Unrivaled got to a value of $650 million after getting $100 million.

However, money alone is not the only aspect of this transformation. In addition to that, athletes have started to use their platform to discuss matters that go beyond the sport itself. Simone Biles managed to raise the issue of mental health awareness within the sports community, while other athletes have raised their voices on such matters as equality, injuries, athlete safety, fairness and representation. Also, the growth of the Global Alliance for Female Athletes shows the increasing focus on women’s health and performance.

These top 10 women athletes can inspire a young girl to dream bigger, speak up and believe that there is a place for her in any arena she chooses. Sometimes, seeing one woman chase her dream is all it takes for another girl to believe she can chase hers too.