Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey: Top 10 most influential sportswomen of 2022 revealed

Every year, the world is captivated by the success and backstories of phenomenal female athletes.

In every sport, there are women who are constantly setting records, breaking barriers and chipping away at the glass ceiling.

Through the power of social media, women’s sport has never been more widely followed.

But who are the women at the forefront of social media? Which athletes are the most influential both in and out of their respective sports?

According to fourfive, here are the ten sportswomen with the greatest influence around the world in 2022. The list is compiled based on the amount of social media followers — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok — and Wikipedia page views combined.

The only Women’s Super League footballer on this list is Alisha Lehmann and it’s not at all surprising why.

As well as being a speedster on the pitch, the Aston Villa star has established herself as a social media personality, particularly on Instagram and TikTok.

Lehmann has a combined social media following of 11 million and the rest has come through clicks on her Wikipedia page.

Naomi Osaka is not just an excellent tennis player, but a smart businesswoman and an individual who is not afraid to speak up for what she believes in.

The Japanese star has won four Grand Slams in her career so far and she is one of the most marketable athletes in the world.

Osaka is sponsored by Nike and has endorsement deals with the likes of Nissan and Louis Vuitton. She also had her own Barbie doll created and recently collaborated with Fortnite to introduce a playable Osaka character.

The 24-year-old has a total of five million social media followers and 6.6 million Wikipedia clicks in the last year.

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is regarded as one of