The 16 Greatest Female Athletes of All Time

Twelve sports, one list, and no honest way to compare a serve with a floor routine. Pick the resume you would actually defend.

1

Serena Williams

Won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any player in the Open era.

2

Simone Biles

The most decorated gymnast in history, with 11 Olympic and 30 world championship medals.

3

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Olympic track champion who then won 10 major golf titles and co-founded the LPGA.

4

Steffi Graf

The only tennis player to win all four majors and Olympic gold in one calendar year.

5

Martina Navratilova

Won 59 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

6

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Heptathlon world record holder and winner of six Olympic medals across four Games.

7

Nadia Comaneci

Scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics at the 1976 Montreal Games.

8

Wilma Rudolph

Overcame childhood polio to win three sprint golds at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

9

Florence Griffith-Joyner

Still holds the world records in the 100m and 200m set in 1988.

10

Katie Ledecky

Distance swimmer with more individual Olympic golds than any woman in the sport.

11

Larisa Latynina

Soviet gymnast whose 18 Olympic medals stood as the all-time record for 48 years.

12

Billie Jean King

Won 39 Grand Slam titles and beat Bobby Riggs in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes.

13

Mia Hamm

Two-time World Cup winner who was the face of American soccer for a generation.

14

Marta

Brazilian forward and the all-time leading scorer at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

15

Allyson Felix

The most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history.

16

Annika Sorenstam

Won 72 LPGA titles and 10 majors before retiring at the top of the game.