Top 50 Female Athletes in Sports History

The debate over who is the greatest female athlete ever hasn’t gotten enough attention.

Top 50 Female Athletes in Sports History

The debate over who’s the greatest athlete is one we've argued about ever since the invention of sports tens of thousands of years ago. It can be found today on your favorite morning Hot Take TV show, throughout radio airwaves, all over social media and at every sports bar known to man … or woman.

But the debate over who is the greatest female athlete ever is one that hasn’t gotten enough attention. Before that debate can even begin, you need to define what makes an athlete great. Is it their pure athletic ability or success within their sport? Is it their impact on not only the sport they competed in, but how they affected society as a whole? Or is it their dominance, longevity, charisma or star power that separates them from the rest of the field? The answer to all of those questions is, quite simply, “yes.”

We’ve selected the best of the best female athletes and ranked their level of greatness in five different categories: athletic ability, success/championships, impact on sport, impact beyond sport and intangibles. Those rankings are on a scale of 0-100 in increments of five. The average of those five categories will then be the athlete’s GOAT rating, which this list is ranked by. With all of that in mind, here are the 50 greatest female athletes of all time. Who do you think deserves the top honor?

50. Marion Jones

Sport: Track and field, basketball

Career: 15 seasons (1997-2011)

Accomplishments: Three-time World Champion (track and field), stripped of five medals from 2000 Olympics (track and field), NCAA champion (basketball)

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 75

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 65

Intangibles: 50

GOAT rating: 75

Bottom Line: Marion Jones

Yes, Jones used PEDs, which taints her accomplishments, but that doesn’t take away from her God-given athletic ability. As a high school freshman, she was the California state champion in the 100-meter dash and would repeat three more times. She was invited to the U.S. Olympic trials as a 16-year-old, and let’s not forget her basketball achievements, as she won a National Title while at the University of North Carolina (UNC).

She won three gold medals at the IAAF World Championships ,but pretty much all of her track feats after that were wiped out due to her using steroids. However, Jones had one last athletic triumph as, at 34 years old, she joined the WNBA after not having played organized basketball in 13 years. She played just two seasons as a backup but got to end her professional career on a high note.

49. Julie Krone

Sport: Horse racing

Career: 22 seasons (1981-1999, 2002-04)

Accomplishments: Only female jockey to win a Triple Crown race, one-time Belmont Stakes winner, first female jockey to win the Breeders Cup

Athletic ability: 50

Success/championships: 85

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 60

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 75

Bottom Line: Julie Krone

While horses may be better athletes than the jockeys that ride them, it is not easy to control a racehorse that can weigh over 1,000 pounds. It takes great core strength, and Julie Krone showed that she could compete with the best male jockeys in the world. She totaled 3,704 wins during her Hall of Fame career and remains the only female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when she rode Colonial Affair to a Belmont Stakes victory in 1993.

She retired in 1999 and became a TV horseracing analyst but came out of retirement a few years later, which proved to be a good decision, as she would then become the first female Breeders’ Cup winner in 2003.

48. Christine Sinclair

Sport: Soccer

Career: 21 seasons (2001-present)

Accomplishments: All-time leading international scorer, 14-time Canadian Player of the Year, Two-time Olympic medalist

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 65

Intangibles: 70

GOAT rating: 76

Bottom Line: Christine Sinclair

The Canadian Player of the Year award in soccer should just be renamed the Christine Sinclair Award, as the forward has won it 14 times since 2000. Fourteen! Her first win came as a 17-year-old, her last came as a 35-year-old, and in between, she had an 11-year streak in which she won it every time. She has scored 186 international goals, which is not only the most among female players but the most goals among all players in international competition.

Despite her strong ties to her native Canada, Sinclair has also been quite successful in the United States, as she won two NCAA championships while at the University of Portland and is poised to finish her career with the Portland Thorns of the NWSL.

47. Claressa Shields

Sport: Boxing

Career: 10 years (2012-present)

Accomplishments: Two-time Olympic gold medalist, undisputed light middleweight champion, undisputed middleweight champion

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 70

Impact beyond sport: 60

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 76

Bottom Line: Claressa Shields

Only one American boxer — male or female — has ever won consecutive Olympic medals, and her name is Claressa Shields. But she didn’t just win a medal as she won back-to-back golds before turning pro in 2016. She became a two-weight world champion in just her sixth professional fight, which is also a record, and became a three-weight champion in her 10th fight.

Counting both her amateur and pro career, Shields’ record sits at 88 wins and one loss.

With Shields being so dominant in the ring, she needs a new challenge and took one up in 2020. She signed with an MMA promotion and is expected to make her octagon debut in late 2021.

46. Breanna Stewart

Sport: Basketball

Career: 6 seasons (2016-present)

Accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, four-time NCAA champion, four-time NCAA Tournament MOP

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 60

Impact beyond sport: 60

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 76

Bottom Line: Breanna Stewart

Just five years into her pro career, Stewart will likely have a much better ranking on the next version of this list, but she’s accomplished so much in so little time. Stewart had a Jordan-like, eight-year stretch from 2013-2020 when she won six championships (both college and pro) in those eight years and was named the championship MVP all six times.

Wise beyond her years, Stewie, as she’s affectionately known, took a stand against social and gender inequalities in 2020. As a result, she was one of five athletes awarded as the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.

45. Joan Benoit

Sport: Running

Career: 44 seasons (1978-present)

Accomplishments: Olympic gold medalist, two-time Boston Marathon winner, Chicago Marathon winner

Athletic ability: 75

Success/championships: 85

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 60

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 77

Bottom Line: Joan Benoit

A New England native, Benoit competed in the 1979 Boston Marathon as an unknown and ended up not only winning the race, but smashing the course record by eight minutes. She then won the race again in 1983 and set a new course record that wouldn’t be broken for 11 years. The next year, Benoit won her Olympics time trial race just 17 days after having knee surgery and then became the first women’s Olympics marathon champion by winning gold.

Benoit is now well into her 60s but still competes in races against her age group. She ran the 2019 Boston Marathon, finishing 245th overall but first in her 60-64 age group. However, Benoit’s time of 3:04:00 not only topped all within her age group, but it also beat all of the women’s scores in the 55-59 age group.

44. Nancy Lopez

Sport: Golf

Career: 29 seasons (1977-2003, 2007-08)

Accomplishments: Three-time major champion, 48 wins on LPGA Tour, two-time AP Female Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 65

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 77

Bottom Line: Nancy Lopez

Before she was even of legal drinking age, Lopez was a two-time Juniors champion, a college All-American and a two-time runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Open. In her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 1978, she won nine tournaments and then won eight more the following year. But, despite her success on the tour, Lopez put her family first, missing parts of four different tour seasons to give birth to her children.

She could have easily won much more than her 48 tournament wins — which ranks seventh all-time — but spent many years of her prime as a part-time player. Lopez’s career will always be one of those “what ifs” in golf history, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

43. Lauryn Williams

Sport: Track and field, bobsled

Career: 12 seasons (2003-14)

Accomplishments: Only American woman to medal at both Summer and Winter Olympics, two-time Olympic medalist (track and field), one-time Olympic medalist (bobsled)

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 70

Impact beyond sport: 60

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 77

Bottom Line: Lauryn Williams

In 2004, Williams won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the Summer Olympics, and she would win her first gold eight years later as part of a relay team. But what earns Williams a spot on this list is that she would win a third Olympic medal in a completely different sport at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Williams was one of many sprinters chosen to try out for the U.S. bobsled team, and she did more than just try out. At the 2014 Sochi Games, she won a silver medal in the two-women event and is the first American woman to have won Olympic medals in both the Summer and Winter Games.

42. Margaret Court

Sport: Tennis

Career: 18 seasons (1960-77)

Accomplishments: 24-time Grand Slam winner, 19-time Doubles Grand Slam winner, 21-time Mixed Doubles Grand Slam winner, highest career winning percentage in Open era

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 50

GOAT rating: 78

Bottom Line: Margaret Court

No tennis player, male or female, has won more Grand Slam singles titles (24) or Grand Slam overall titles (64) than Australian Margaret Court. She’s also the only player in tennis history — again, male or female — to win the Multiple Grand Slam set, which consists of every Grand Slam title in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

But, despite her unmatched accomplishments, there have been several controversies involving Court both during and after her playing career. Before Billie Jean King took on Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes match, Court faced Riggs, didn’t take the match seriously and lost in straight sets. Court has also come under fire for her political views, including opposing homosexuality and supporting apartheid.

41. Abby Wambach

Sport: Soccer

Career: 14 seasons (2002-15)

Accomplishments: USWNT All-time leading scorer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time winner of U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 60

GOAT rating: 78

Bottom Line: Abby Wambach

The greatest goal-scorer in U.S. Women’s National Team history, Wambach authored one of the most famous goals in soccer history. In the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals, the U.S. was trailing Brazil 2-1 in stoppage time of overtime. But Wambach saved the day with a header goal in the 122nd minute of play, making it the latest goal ever in a FIFA competition. With the game now tied, it went into a penalty shootout in which the U.S. prevailed with Wambach, of course, converting her kick.

She scored again in a semifinal win and then scored yet again in the final versus Japan. However, the final also went to a penalty shootout where Japan prevailed to win the Women’s World Cup, but Wambach was the only American player to convert her kick.

40. Charlotte Flair

Sport: Pro wrestling

Career: 10 years (2012-present)

Accomplishments: 13-time WWE Champion, fourth women’s Grand Slam champion, one-time Royal Rumble winner

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 65

Intangibles: 50

GOAT rating: 78

Bottom Line: Charlotte Flair

You could argue that pro wrestling is more sport-entertainment than sport, but you can’t argue that women like Charlotte Flair are phenomenal athletes. The daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair, Charlotte is twice the athlete her dad ever was, which is amazing considering many believe Ric Flair is the greatest wrestler of all time. Charlotte has been wrestling for not even 10 years, but many consider her to be the greatest female wrestler of all time, and her accomplishments back that up.

She’s held more WWE championships than any other female ever and took part in the first women’s match to headline a WrestleMania. The level of acclaim and praise Charlotte has received in her still relatively young career is something that took her father over 20 years to achieve, which means Charlotte still has room to grow.

39. Lauren Jackson

Sport: Basketball

Career: 20 seasons (1997-2016)

Accomplishments: Three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA scoring champion, two-time WNBA champion

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 70

Impact beyond sport: 80

Intangibles: 60

GOAT rating: 79

Bottom Line: Lauren Jackson

Jackson has to be one of a handful of people on the planet to win MVP awards in two different leagues in the same season. She won three WNBA MVPs and four WNBL MVPs, which takes place in the top women’s basketball league in her native Australia. But in 2003, Jackson won the MVP award in each league while also winning the WNBA scoring title and the WNBL Finals MVP. That’s quite a year!

But despite the MVPs galore, Jackson faced some controversy during her career including posing nude just before the 2004 Olympics and purposely pulling out Lisa Leslie’s hair extensions during a game.

38. Mikaela Shiffrin

Sport: Skiing

Career: 11 seasons (2011-present)

Accomplishments: Two-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time World Champion, three-time skiing World Cup winner

Athletic ability: 80

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 70

GOAT rating: 79

Bottom Line: Mikaela Shiffrin

Skiing doesn’t get the same recognition as more mainstream sports, but Miakela Shiffrin’s 2019 season is akin to Tiger Woods’ legendary 2000 season. Shiffrin had 17 World Cup wins during the 2019 season, which smashed the previous record of 14 wins that had stood for 30 years. She also became the first skier to win the overall, super-G, giant slalom and slalom World Cup titles in a single season and became the all-time winningest skier in World Cup history at just 24 years old.

Shiffrin has proudly taken on the role as the face of her sport and has brought attention to the fact that skiing is one of the few sports in which there’s no gender pay gap.

37. Monica Seles

Sport: Tennis

Career: 14 seasons (1989-93, 1995-2003)

Accomplishments: Nine-time Grand Slam champion, youngest ever French Open champion, 178 weeks as No. 1 player in the world

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 80

Bottom Line: Monica Seles

If it wasn’t for an on-court stabbing by a deranged fan in 1993, many think that Monica Seles would hold many of the tennis records that Serena Williams is chasing or has surpassed. She won eight major championships while still a teenager and was the year-end world No. 1 ranked player in both 1991 and 1992.

However, her attack in 1993 stalled her career for over two years due to the physical and emotional trauma. She would win just one more major championship after the hiatus, but her 33 consecutive wins at the Australian Open remains a record.

36. Kaori Icho

Sport: Wrestling

Career: 21 seasons (2001-present)

Accomplishments: Four-time Olympic gold medalist, 10-time World Champion, 189-match win streak

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 55

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 80

Bottom Line: Kaori Icho

To win four consecutive Olympic gold medals is something that teams can do with ease, as they can replace their aging players with younger ones. But to win four straight golds as an individual is something nearly impossible, and Kaori Icho is the only one who can make that claim.

The Japanese freestyle wrestler was atop the podium at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games, the first three of which came during her 13-year undefeated streak. And she managed to accomplish much of this while being a victim during the Me Too Movement, as Icho was subject to verbal abuse by a former coach.

35. Birgit Prinz

Sport: Soccer

Career: 18 seasons (1993-2011)

Accomplishments: Three-time FIFA Player of the Year, two-time Women’s World Cup champion, three-time Olympic medalist

Athletic ability: 80

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 65

Intangibles: 70

GOAT rating: 80

Bottom Line: Birgit Prinz

Prinz was a German soccer prodigy who remains the youngest player, male or female, to ever appear in a World Cup Final, as she did so at 17. But this prodigy didn’t fade into oblivion as she aged because Prinz became the best women’s soccer player in the world in the 2000s.

Over a nine-year stretch from 2002-10, Prinz finished either first or second in FIFA Player of the Year voting eight times. She was masterful on the international stage and is the second all-time leading scorer in both the Women’s World Cup and at the Olympics. With her playing career now over, Prinz is giving back to the team that gave her so much, as she works as a sports psychologist for Germany’s Women’s National Team.

34. Lisa Fernandez

Sport: Softball

Career: 19 seasons (1990-2008)

Accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA champion, four-time First-Team All-American

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 81

Bottom Line: Lisa Fernandez

Long before there was Shohei Ohtani, there was Lisa Fernandez being a two-way star on the diamond. She won three Olympic gold medals for the USA Softball team and is considered the greatest softball player of all time. As for her two-way exploits, she set an Olympic record with 25 strikeouts in a single game and also posted the best batting average for a single Olympic tournament four years later.

Fernandez was part of a 112-game win streak with USA Softball and after her retirement she decided to give back to the program that helped her reach those heights. She became an assistant coach at her alma mater of UCLA, and the team has won five more Women College World Series with her on the staff, thus giving Fernandez seven championships as a player and coach.

33. Bonnie Blair

Sport: Speed Skating

Career: 12 seasons (1984-95)

Accomplishments: Five-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time World Champion, Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 81

Bottom Line: Bonnie Blair

At the 1984 Olympics, a 19-year-old Blair finished a disappointing eighth in the 50-meter speed skating event. That clearly motivated the New York native, as she would win gold at the event in the next three Olympic Games, making her one of a handful of athletes — male or female — to win gold at the same event in three straight games. Blair would also add a pair of gold medals in the 1000-meter event and set numerous world records along the way.

Blair has also made an impact off the ice, spending time on the U.S. Speedskating’s Board of Directors, as a member of the U.S. Olympic delegation for the Sochi Games and as an ambassador for Right to Play, which is a non-profit that aids disadvantaged children.

32. Candace Parker

Sport: Basketball

Career: 14 seasons (2008-present)

Accomplishments: Two-time WNBA MVP, six-time All-WNBA First Team, two-time NCAA champion

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 82

Bottom Line: Candace Parker

The career of Candace Parker is filled with firsts. She was the first girls’ high school player to have her college verbal commitment broadcast on ESPN. She was the first women’s player to ever dunk in an NCAA Tournament game. And she was the first player to leave college early for the WNBA Draft. Since then, she’s become one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time, winning championships both domestically and foreign, as well as winning multiple Olympic gold medals.

Off the court, Parker was named to People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People list in 2007, and she became part of the ownership group of NWSL team Angel City FC in 2020.

31. Kerri Walsh Jennings

Sport: Beach Volleyball

Career: 21 seasons (2001-present)

Accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time World Champion, all-time leader in beach volleyball tournament victories

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 82

Bottom Line: Kerri Walsh Jennings

Walsh Jennings gets the nod over her longtime partner Misty May-Treanor because the latter retired in 2012, but Walsh Jennings is still going strong. The two of them formed a legendary beach volleyball pairing that won a record 112 straight matches over a 13-month span, which also included the 2008 Olympic gold medal.

Walsh Jennings is equally skilled at both beach volleyball positions, as she won her league’s Best Offensive Player award twice and Best Defensive Player award once, not to mention two MVP awards. Even after May-Treanor retired, Walsh Jennings still proved to be an effective player as she won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics with a new partner in April Ross.

30. Michelle Akers

Sport: Soccer

Career: 16 seasons (1985-2000)

Accomplishments: FIFA Female Player of the Century, two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 82

Bottom Line: Michelle Akers

FIFA hands out a Player of the Year award every year, but they’ve only given out one Player of the Century award, and Michelle Akers was the winner for the 20th century. She was a member of the USWNT since its inception in 1985 and scored the first goal in the history of the program. She was also there for the first ever Women’s World Cup in 1991 and won the Golden Shoe as the top scorer when the U.S. won that tournament.

Akers clearly likes being first, as she also took part in the first Olympics women’s soccer tournament in 1996 and scored a goal when the U.S. won the gold medal. To conclude her historic career, Akers was a part of the legendary USWNT that won the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and she won the Bronze Ball as the third best player of the tournament.

29. Cheryl Miller

Sport: Basketball

Career: 6 seasons (1983-88)

Accomplishments: Three-time Naismith Player of the Year, two-time NCAA champion, Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 83

Bottom Line: Cheryl Miller

Ask Hall of Famer Reggie Miller today, and he’ll still say that his older sister was the best basketball player in the family. She was the best prep player in the country and is believed to be the first woman to ever dunk in organized competition. She once scored 105 points in a high school game and was a three-time winner of the Naismith Award in college.

Miller came around about a decade too soon and long before the WNBA, but she was recruited by several men’s teams including the Harlem Globetrotters and was even drafted by the USBL.

28. Cynthia Cooper-Dyke

Sport: Basketball

Career: 16 seasons (1986-2000, 2003)

Accomplishments: Two-time WNBA MVP, four-time WNBA champion, four-time WNBA Finals MVP

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 70

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 83

Bottom Line: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke

Cooper-Dyke’s professional career began a decade before the WNBA even existed, so she played overseas and was a star in the Italian leagues. At 34 years old, Cooper-Dyke was finally able to play in a pro league in her home country and, much like overseas, she dominated. She led the Comets to four straight championships and won four straight Finals MVP awards.

She also won three scoring titles, and dating back to her Italy days, Cooper-Dyke won 11 scoring titles in her 15 professional seasons. With a 21.0 points per game average, Cooper-Dyke has the highest scoring average in WNBA history … and did we mention she didn’t join the league until she was 34 years old?

27. Lottie Dod

Sport: Tennis, golf, field hockey, archery

Career: 29 seasons (1883-1911)

Accomplishments: Five-time Grand Slam champion (tennis), one-time Amateur champion (golf), one-time Olympic medalist (archery), only woman to win British tennis and golf championships

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 75

Impact beyond sport: 65

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 83

Bottom Line: Lottie Dod

Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, athletes were allowed to be all-around athletes and compete in many different sports. Dod took advantage of the times and was competitive at the highest of levels in four different sports. She remains the youngest ever Wimbledon winner, doing so at 15 years old in 1887, and she won Wimbledon four more times.

She then won the Amateur British Open in golf and competed for England’s national field hockey team. If that wasn’t enough, Dod then decided to add an Olympic medal to her resume, as she claimed silver in archery at the 1908 Summer Games.

26. Annika Sorenstam

Sport: Golf

Career: 17 seasons (1992-2008)

Accomplishments: 10-time major champion, eight-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year, three-time AP Female Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 70

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 83

Bottom Line: Annika Sorenstam

Here’s how much Sorenstam dominated women’s golf: She ranks first all-time in LPGA career earnings, but the person who ranks second played in 149 more tournaments than Sorenstam did! There’s a Ruthian-like disparity between Sorenstam and the rest of the LPGA field, and she was so far ahead of her fellow tour golfers that she was invited to play in a PGA Tour tournament in 2003.

At the Bank of America Colonial tournament, Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event. She didn’t make the cut but still had an impressive showing and led the field in driving accuracy in the first round of competition.

25. Dara Torres

Sport: Swimming

Career: 29 seasons (1984-2012)

Accomplishments: Four-time Olympic gold medalist, 12-time Olympic medalist, set seven world records

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 80

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 84

Bottom Line: Dara Torres

At the 2000 Olympics, the 33-year-old Torres was the oldest swimmer on Team USA and was considered the mom of the group, as she won two gold medals. Eight years later, Torres, then an actual mother, was still competing and still winning medals. She won three silver medals as a 41-year-old, and her 12 total medals at the Games tied for the most all-time by a female Olympian.

Most athletes who make the Olympics participate in just one Games, but Torres’ Olympic career spanned 24 years from 1984 to 2008. She is only one of three athletes — male or female and in any sport — to have won at least four gold medals, four silver medals and four bronze medals at the Olympics.

24. Nadia Comaneci

Sport: Gymnastics

Career: 15 seasons (1970-84)

Accomplishments: Five-time Olympic gold medalist, nine-time Olympic medalist, first gymnast with a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympics

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 84

Bottom Line: Nadia Comaneci

As a 14-year-old at the 1976 Olympics, Comaneci did what was considered impossible. She recorded the first perfect score of 10.0 in an Olympic Games, and this was so unexpected that the scoreboard manufacturer never even programmed the scoreboard to display a “10.0.” As a result, the scoreboard displayed “1.00” instead, and that photo is one of the most iconic in gymnastics history.

Comaneci was able to win nine Olympic medals in all, but she was robbed of potentially winning even more by her own country. Romania didn’t allow her to compete in the 1984 Games due to political reasons, and Comaneci retired shortly thereafter. She then undertook leadership roles to prevent similar things happening to other gymnasts, serving as the honorary president of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation.

23. Ronda Rousey

Sports: Judo, MMA, Pro Wrestling

Career: 16 seasons (2004-19)

Accomplishments: Olympic medalist in judo, first female UFC champion, one-time WWE Women’s Champion

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 85

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 85

Intangibles: 55

GOAT rating: 84

Bottom Line: Ronda Rousey

Before her MMA career ended with back-to-back defeats, Rousey was well on her way to being in discussion for top 10 on this list. Her dominance and popularity in the UFC was unparalleled, and while that chapter of her career fizzled out, you can’t take away what else she’s accomplished. Most people forget that Rousey won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in judo before she ever took up MMA.

After then leaving the octagon, Rousey has transitioned to her third combat sport and the world of professional wrestling. Yes, it’s scripted, and Rousey even called it “fake fighting,” but you can’t deny the athleticism involved in the sport(s entertainment) ,and she was part of the first women’s wrestling match to main event a WrestleMania.

22. Marta

Sport: Soccer

Career: 22 seasons (2000-present)

Accomplishments: All-time leading scorer at Women’s World Cup, six-time FIFA Player of the Year, two-time Olympic medalist

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 85

Bottom Line: Marta

What Messi and Ronaldo are to men’s soccer, Brazilian Marta is to women’s soccer. Her individual accomplishments are unparalleled as her six player of the year awards are twice as many as any other female player. Marta (full name Marta Vieira da Silva) was the first soccer player of either gender to score at five World Cups, and no one is counting her out from making it six in 2023. Speaking of World Cups, she is the all-time leading scorer at the tournament, again, male or female, and has scored more goals in a Brazil uniform than even Pele.

Off the pitch, Marta was appointed by the United Nations as an SDG advocate whose responsibilities include promoting gender equality, ending poverty, providing quality education and ensuring clean water.

21. Jenny Thompson

Sport: Swimming

Career: 12 seasons (1992-2000, 2002-04)

Accomplishments: Eight-time gold medalist, 18-time World Champion, four-time NCAA Team Champion

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 75

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 75

GOAT rating: 85

Bottom Line: Jenny Thompson

Only one athlete, male or female, has won more Olympic medals in swimming than Jenny Thompson and his name rhymes with Cycle Helps. That makes Thompson the most decorated female swimmer in Olympics history, and she is tied for the second most Olympic golds for any female athlete. But her international success is only part of her accomplishments, as Thompson was part of a collegiate dynasty at Stanford. The Cardinals Swimming Team won the NCAA Championship all four years Thompson was there, even with her competing in the 1992 Olympics in between.

While many athletes choose to stay close to their sports after retiring, Thompson went in a completely different direction and attended medical school. She graduated from Columbia University and now-Dr. Jenny Thompson is an anesthesiologist in the New England area.

20. Billie Jean King

Sport: Tennis

Career: 32 seasons (1959-90)

Accomplishments: 12-time Grand Slam winner, first female to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, founded WTA

Athletic ability: 70

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 86

Bottom Line: Billie Jean King

Most know the name of King in relation to the Battle of the Sexes match she had against Bobby Riggs, but she was chosen for that match because she was arguably the best player in the world at the time. The year prior to that match, King was chosen as the first female to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year after winning three Grand Slam tournaments.

King won 39 Grand Slams in all — including 12 in singles competition — and founded both the WTA and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

19. Amanda Nunes

Sport: Mixed Martial Arts

Career: 14 seasons (2008-present)

Accomplishments: First female two-division UFC champion, two-time UFC champion, longest reigning UFC champion of all-time

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 86

Bottom Line: Amanda Nunes

There’s only a handful of sports where one individual is the unquestionable GOAT. Michael Phelps in swimming and Wayne Gretzky in hockey are examples, as is Amanda Nunes in women’s MMA. She has the most wins in UFC history among women, is the only fighter to defend two titles simultaneously and holds the record with six wins over current or former UFC champions. Nunes is able to successfully navigate one of the hardest things in her spor, and that’s going up and down in weight classes and still being effective.

She won the bantamweight title, then gained weight to compete for and win the featherweight title, then dropped weight to defend the bantamweight title and then gained weight to again defend the featherweight title. Those outside of sports with weight divisions just don’t realize how difficult that is, and for Nunes to still remain the best in both weight classes is GOAT-worthy.

18. Sheryl Swoopes

Sport: Basketball

Career: 16 seasons (1994-2008, 2011)

Accomplishments: Three-time WNBA MVP, four-time WNBA champion, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 70

GOAT rating: 87

Bottom Line: Sheryl Swoopes

Only three WNBA players have won three MVPs, and only three players have won at least three Defensive Player of the Year awards. But just one player has won three MVPs and three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and her name is Sheryl Swoopes. Despite not playing her first full WNBA season until she was 27, Swoopes quickly became the best player in the league and a four-time champion.

She was nicknamed “Her Airness” as the female equivalent of Michael Jordan, and Swoopes even named her son “Jordan” in homage. Swoopes’ impact on women’s basketball transcended the sport, as she was also the first women’s basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her — the Air Swoopes.

17. Martina Navratilova

Sport: Tennis

Career: 32 seasons (1975-2006)

Accomplishments: 18-time Grand Slam winner, 31-time Doubles Grand Slam winner, 10-time Mixed Doubles Grand Slam winner

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 65

GOAT rating: 87

Bottom Line: Martina Navratilova

No tennis player can match the quantity and quality of Navratilova’s career. As a singles player she held the No. 1 ranking for 332 weeks, which is over six years in duration, and also won Wimbledon a record nine times. As a doubles player, she and partner Pam Shriver won a record 79 titles together and have a 109-match win streak. And as a mixed doubles player, she won her first Grand Slam as a 17-year-old at the 1974 French Open and her last Grand Slam as a 49-year-old at the 2006 U.S. Open. While most tennis players focus on their singles career when they’re young before transitioning to doubles and/or mixed doubles, Navratilova competed in both singles and doubles at the same time, which takes incredible focus and endurance.

Outside of tennis, Navratilova has been heavily involved in activism and pushing for the rights of marginalized groups. While she has been a big proponent of gay rights, she also came under criticism for speaking out against trans women who compete in women’s sports.

16. Jennie Finch

Sport: Softball

Career: 12 seasons (1999-2010)

Accomplishments: Two-time Olympic medalist, one-time Women’s College World Series champion, NCAA-record of 51 straight wins as a pitcher

Athletic ability: 80

Success/championships: 85

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 87

Bottom Line: Jennie Finch

It’s hard to say that one specific athlete is bigger than their sport, but that statement may ring true for Jennie Finch with softball. She was the face of the sport during her pro career and she proudly represented softball as the game’s unofficial ambassador, in addition to being its best player.

The National Pro Fastpitch league folded in 2001 but resumed two years later, which just happened to coincide with Finch finishing college and needing a pro league to play in. Softball at the Olympics also revolved around her presence, as she and the U.S. Team won medals in 2004 and 2008, but the sport was removed from the 2012 Games, which followed Finch’s 2010 retirement.

She transformed softball, perhaps, unlike any other female athlete in any other sport.

15. Chris Evert

Sport: Tennis

Career: 16 seasons (1972-89)

Accomplishments: 18-time Grand Slam winner, seven-time year-ending No. 1 player, fecord of 13 straight years with at least one Grand Slam title

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 80

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 88

Bottom Line: Chris Evert

If you asked a diehard tennis fan, “Which woman has the highest all-time winning percentage?” you’d probably get responses such as Serena Williams or Margaret Court. But it’s Chris Evert who owns that record, as she won 89.97 percent of her singles matches. She always got up for the big tournaments, evident by the fact that, of the 56 Grand Slams she played in, she never lost in the first or second round.

Also known for her work off the tennis court, Evert served as president of the WTA both during and after her playing days. She’s also been a coach, analyst and was appointed by President George H. Bush to serve as a board member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

14. Wilma Rudolph

Sport: Track and field

Career: 7 seasons (1956-62)

Accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time Olympic medalist, two-time AP Woman Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 80

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 88

Bottom Line: Wilma Rudolph

Rudolph’s career was brief, as she retired at 22 years old, but she packed lots into her career, starting as a 16-year-old at the 1956 Olympics. She won a bronze medal as part of the 4x100-meter relay team and then became the first American woman to win three golds at a single Games four years later. Rudolph was crowned the fastest woman in the world in the early 1960s and then abruptly retired in 1962.

But what Rudolph accomplished in retirement was, perhaps, even more significant than what she did on the track. She helped desegregate her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, by participating in civil rights protests and also served as a U.S. ambassador in West Africa. She also established a nonprofit that trained youth athletes and became the vice president of a hospital before her death in 1992.

13. Lindsey Vonn

Sport: Skiing

Career: 20 seasons (2000-19)

Accomplishments: Three-time Olympic medalist, eight-time World Champion, 20-time crystal globe champion

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 90

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 85

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 88

Bottom Line: Lindsey Vonn

Despite injuries plaguing the latter half of her career, Lindsey Vonn is still the most accomplished alpine skier of all time. Her 82 World Cup race wins is a women’s record and she’s one of just six women to have won World Cup races in all five disciplines — downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined.

For close to a decade, Vonn was the face of the sport, and she helped elevate alpine skiing, particularly during the Winter Olympics. She became a household name and remains one of just three winter sport athletes to be named AP’s Female Athlete of the Year.

12. Althea Gibson

Sport: Tennis, Golf

Career: 33 seasons (1941-58, 1964-78)

Accomplishments: Five-time Grand Slam champion (tennis), first African American to join LPGA Tour, two-time AP Female Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 85

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 89

Bottom Line: Althea Gibson

Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson, as she endured racial discrimination in two different sports. She got a late start in her tennis career due to a majority of tournaments being held at white-only clubs, but she still managed to win a total of 11 Grand Slams, including five as a singles competitor. In 1957, Gibson reached the finals of eight Grand Slam events — winning two singles titles, two doubles titles, one mixed doubles title and finishing runner-up in three other competitions.

In her late 30s, Gibson then transitioned to golf where she faced more discrimination, as many country clubs even refused to allow her to compete. Although she didn’t experience the same success as in tennis, Gibson still finished among the top 50 money winners on the LPGA Tour in five different years.

11. Katie Ledecky

Sport: Swimming

Career: 10 seasons (2012-present)

Accomplishments: Five-time Olympic gold medalist, 15-time World Champion, has broken 14 world records

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 75

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 89

Bottom Line: Katie Ledecky

Ledecky’s versatility in the pool is what sets her apart from everyone else. She’s won gold medals by swimming 100 meters as part of a relay team and by swimming as long as 1500 meters. Not even the great Michael Phelps can boast that kind of range and Ledecky currently holds the world records in 400-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle. With all of her accomplishments on the international stage, it’s easy to forget that Ledecky also swam for Stanford for two years and set 15 NCAA records during her two years in Palo Alto.

She will be 24 years old at the 2021 Olympics and is the youngest athlete on this list, as she’s just three days younger than Simone Biles. With plenty of more years in the pool ahead of her, Ledecky could be held in the same light in women’s swimming as Michael Phelps is in men’s swimming, so stay tuned.

10. Lisa Leslie

Sport: Basketball

Career: 16 seasons (1994-2009)

Accomplishments: Three-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, four-time Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 80

Intangibles: 80

GOAT rating: 89

Bottom Line: Lisa Leslie

If there was a Mount Rushmore of women’s basketball, Leslie would undoubtedly be one of the four faces engraved. She was the best high school player in the country, the best college player in the country, the best pro player in the country and the best international player in the world. She’s one of three three-time WNBA MVPs, won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and claimed two WNBA championships, both of which ended with her also hoisting the Finals MVP.

Leslie was a trailblazer in the women’s game and will always own the recognition of being the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. But her dunking skills didn’t just pop up during that 2002 game, as Leslie first started dunking some 15 years prior when she was a sophomore in high school!

9. Allyson Felix

Sport: Track and field

Career: 19 seasons (2003-present)

Accomplishments: Six-time Olympic gold medalist, nine-time Olympic medalist, 18-time World Champion

Athletic ability: 95

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 85

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 85

GOAT rating: 90

Bottom Line: Allyson Felix

Most sprinters compete in either the 100-meter and 200-meter races, or they’ll compete in the 200-meter and 400-meter races. It’s very rare for someone to not only compete but to excel at the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter, but Felix has done that on the highest of levels. She’s won two Olympic gold medals as part of the 4x100-meter relay team, three Olympic medals competing as an individual in the 200 meter and three more golds as part of the 4x400-meter relay team. Let’s also not forget her 18 World Championships, which makes her the most decorated athlete, male or female, in World Athletics Championships history.

Felix has also made an impact off the track and was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020 for speaking out against her sponsor, Nike, for threatening to pay her less after giving birth in 2018.

8. Steffi Graf

Sport: Tennis

Career: 18 seasons (1982-99)

Accomplishments: 22-time Grand Slam winner, record 377 weeks ranked as No. 1 player, 107 singles titles, eight-time WTA Player of the Year

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 80

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 90

Bottom Line: Steffi Graf

In 1988, Steffi Graf achieved the Grand Slam by winning all four major championships in the same year and no singles player, male or female, has accomplished the feat since. But Graf went a step further than just the Grand Slam, as she achieved the Golden Slam by also winning the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics.

Other tennis players have accomplished the Career Golden Slam by winning the four Grand Slams and a gold medal in different years, but Graf is the only person on the planet to win the Golden Slam in one calendar year.

7. Florence Griffith Joyner

Sport: Track and field

Career: 10 seasons (1980-89)

Accomplishments: Fastest woman in the world, world record holder in 100 meter and 200 meter, three-time Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 80

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 91

Bottom Line: Florence Griffith Joyner

Consider this: Since 1988, the world record in the men’s 100-meter dash has been broken 11 times. But the world record in the women’s 100-meter dash hasn’t moved 1/100th of a second since Florence Griffith Joyner set the mark in 1988. She is the fastest woman of all time, and FloJo also holds the world record in the 200-meter dash as well.

FloJo was also known for the style she brought to the track, including running in a one-legged bodysuit and running with six-inch fingernails. Her fashion sense caught on outside of track and field, as she was chosen to design the Indiana Pacers’ uniforms in 1989. That’s because Indianapolis was the place where she set her 100-meter dash world record.

6. Diana Taurasi

Sport: Basketball

Career: 18 seasons (2004-present)

Accomplishments: WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, three-time WNBA champion, 10-time All-WNBA First Team, five-time WNBA scoring champion

Athletic ability: 85

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 90

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 95

GOAT rating: 92

Bottom Line: Diana Taurasi

Think of all the great players who have passed through Storrs, Connecticut, as members of UConn’s women’s basketball team. One player is a cut above the rest, and that’s Diana Taurasi. Don’t take our word — Hall of Fame Coach Geno Auriemma has called Taurasi his greatest player, and he would know better than anyone else. Her greatness as an amateur player has undoubtedly transferred to the professional ranks, as Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leader in both points and 3-pointers.

But Taurasi’s impact goes beyond the court, and she’s had a great impact on those she’s met. She was among a handful of people that Vanessa Bryant handpicked to eulogize Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and Kobe was the one who bestowed the “White Mamba” nickname on her.

5. Mia Hamm

Sport: Soccer

Career: 18 seasons (1987-2004)

Accomplishments: Two-time FIFA Player of the Year, Two-time Women’s World Cup champion, Three-time Olympic medalist

Athletic ability: 90

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 85

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 93

Bottom Line: Mia Hamm

You knew Hamm would be something special when she became the youngest player to ever suit up for the USWNT at the age of 15. In college at UNC, she won five national championships in five years, including her redshirt year of 1991 in which she sat out to focus on that year’s Women’s World Cup.

She then became the face of women’s soccer, highlighted by the USWNT winning the Women’s World Cup in 1999. For her contributions to the game, Hamm was the first woman to be inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame.

4. Simone Biles

Sport: Gymnastics

Career: 9 seasons (2012-16, 2018-present)

Accomplishments: Four-time Olympic gold medalist, 19-time World Champion, most decorated American gymnast with 30 medals, two-time AP Female Athlete of the Year

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 90

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 94

Bottom Line: Simone Biles

Widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and has won a combined 30 medals at the Olympics and World Championships. She has the perfect combination of power, speed and strength to do things that other gymnasts simply can’t do and that was apparent at the 2018 World Championships. Biles became the first-ever American gymnast to medal in every single event, as she walked away with four golds, one silver and one bronze.

The only thing keeping Biles from being even higher on this list is her youth, as she’s the second youngest of these 50 athletes. That means there is still more to add to her gymnastics resume and more she’ll look to accomplish outside of the sport.

3. Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Sport: Athletics

Career: 17 seasons (1984-2000)

Accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist, world record holder for women’s heptathlon, Sports Illustrated’s greatest female athlete of the 20th century

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 85

Intangibles: 95

GOAT rating: 95

Bottom Line: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

The winner of the decathlon (men) or heptathlon (women) is often dubbed the “World’s Greatest Athlete” due to their skill over several sports. And the fact that Jackie Joyner-Kersee has held the world record for the heptathlon for over 30 years tells you why she’s on this list.

Of the seven heptathlon events, Joyner-Kersee is the only athlete who holds the record in two events, as she has the heptathlon best in both the 200 meter and the long jump. She competed individually in the long jump as well and only won three Olympic medals in that event to go along with her three Olympic medals in the heptathlon. Oh, and if her feats in athletics weren’t enough, Joyner-Kersee was also a 1,000-point scorer and All-Conference selection for UCLA’s women’s basketball team.

2. Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Sport: Athletics, golf

Career: 24 seasons (1932-55)

Accomplishments: Two-time Olympic gold medalist (athletics), 10-time major champion (golf), co-founder of LPGA, AP Women Athlete of the 20th Century

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 95

Impact on sport: 95

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 95

GOAT rating: 96

Bottom Line: Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Widely considered the greatest female athlete of the 20th century, Zaharias competed, and excelled, in a number of sports. She set four world records and won three medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics when she was just 21 years old. She won medals in a running event (80-meter hurdles), a jumping event (high jump) and a throwing event (javelin), thus becoming the only athlete, male or female, to win medals in all of those disciplines.

In 1935, she then took up golf where she helped found the LPGA Tour and won 48 total golf events including 10 major championships. By 1950, she had won every golf tournament there was to win — both amateur and professional — and was inducted into the LPGA a year later.

Zaharias also dabbled in other sports during her career, including winning the AAU Championship in basketball and being the only woman on a traveling male hoops team. In 1934, she pitched two scoreless innings in an MLB Spring Training game, where she shut out the Cleveland Indians.

Outside of athletics, Zaharias served as a public advocate for cancer awareness at a time when many refused treatment for the disease. Colon cancer took her life in 1956, but Zaharias, who won her final two golf tournaments, was still the top-ranked female golfer in the world at the time of her death.

1. Serena Williams

Sport: Tennis

Career: 27 seasons (1995-present)

Accomplishments: 23-time Grand Slam winner, 319 weeks ranked as No. 1 player, AP Female Athlete of the Decade (2010s), four-time Olympic gold medalist

Athletic ability: 100

Success/championships: 100

Impact on sport: 100

Impact beyond sport: 95

Intangibles: 90

GOAT rating: 97

Bottom Line: Serena Williams

In 2016, a Nike ad called Serena Williams the greatest athlete ever — not just female athlete — and who are we to disagree with them? She has matched or exceeded the accomplishments of all other tennis greats, and she’s done it in a more competitive era than those that preceded her.

Williams’ longevity in tennis is unmatched as she won her first major at 17 and her last, for now, at 35 in which she was also two months pregnant. She holds the records for the longest spans between the first and last title at all four Grand Slam tournaments and has twice completed the “Serena Slam,” in which she won all four Grand Slam tournaments in a row. It wasn’t like she beat scrubs either to reach all of these accomplishments, as she has defeated 22 of the 26 other women who have been ranked No. 1 in history as the other four retired before Williams could play them.

Serena, and her sister Venus, also deserve credit for bringing diversity to tennis just as Tiger Woods did the same in golf. They have inspired multiple generations of players that may have otherwise never even considered the sport like Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens.