International Women’s Day: Ten Female Superstars To Watch Out For In 2022

In honour of this year’s International Women’s Day, we take a look at ten female sports stars who are set for an incredible 2022
15:05, 08 Mar 2022

In honour of this year’s International Women’s Day, we take a look at ten female sports stars who are set for an incredible 2022.

Emma Raducanu

The British tennis star made history in September of last year when she was crowned the single’s champion at the US Open inside Arthur Ashe Stadium when she defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. The 19-year-old’s stock rose significantly after her historic triumph, in which she won ten matches on the bounce and didn’t lose a set, as she became the first British star to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade in 1977.

The Toronto-born star will be in the spotlight once gain this year and with three Grand Slam tournaments still to come her way, she will have plenty of opportunities to continue her excellent start to her professional career.

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Dina Asher-Smith

The English sprinter had a disappointing 2021 as her Olympic dreams were shattered in Tokyo. Having picked up an injury in the build-up to the Tokyo Games last summer, Asher-Smith did not qualify for the 100m finals and subsequently pulled out from her preferred 200m event.

She has a chance to get back on track in peak condition this summer with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games where she will have another crack at making an impact in the track events she was denied in the Olympics. In the space of a five-week period, the 26-year-old will be competing in the Birmingham spectacle and the European Championships. She is already focused on making up for lost time and this summer is looking promising.

Ellen White

England’s star striker White has already become the Lionesses’ record goalscorer in recent months and she has the chance to make more history this summer as the UK hosts the 2022 European Championships. The Lionesses are going to be one of the favourites to triumph as they recently won the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup and White’s goal tally stands at 49 for her country. She has joined the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton on the all-time scorers list and she is just four shy of Wayne Rooney’s leading tally of 53.

With the form she is in for the Lionesses, it feels as though it is inevitable that she will at least equal Rooney’s tally this year and with an encouraging major tournament on the horizon, she could be in store for a great year personally.

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Georgina Nelthorpe

Guildford-born Nelthorpe is an English freestyle wrestler who made her Commonwealth Games debut four years ago, where she won the bronze medal at 21 years of age. As she looks ahead to summer spectacle with four years more experience and a bronze medal already in her collection, she will undoubtedly be looking for more in the 'Second City' and with a home crowd behind her, that might just spur her on to go that one step further and hopefully a gold. 

Laura Muir

Scottish runner Muir has a point to prove at the Commonwealth Games later this year having pulled out of her beloved 1500m at Gold Coast four years ago due to the event clashing with her veterinary exams. 

Muir had a memorable time at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as not only did she claim the 1500m silver, but she set a British record time of 3:54:50. She’s stated that she has “unfinished business” at the Commonwealth Games and should be feeling optimistic about more medal success in Birmingham.

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Mikaela Mayer

Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are the names on everybody’s lips when it comes to women’s boxing. But IBF, WBO and The Ring super featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer warrants a mention alongside the very best fighters in the sport.

A decorated amateur, Mayer has an unblemished 16-0 record since turning pro in 2017. After scoring a signature win in her unification fight with Maiva Hamadouche in 2021, we could be on the cusp of a big year in the Mayer calendar.

Lauren Hemp

The young football star will be hoping to make Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad for Euro 2022 later in the year and the Manchester City striker could be one of the rising stars to keep an eye on if she maintains her place following the Arnold Clark triumph. 

The 21-year-old has already earned 17 caps for her country and scored four goals, while continuing to shine and grow in the game at club level. With the UK hosting the tournament, it will be every English star’s dream to make the team and Hemp looks set to be one of the youngsters who the Dutch manager will put her faith in.

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Ko Jin-Young 

The number one golfer had a strong end to 2021 and has already had an amazing start to the new year, having just won the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore - and she won in style. Her two-stroke victory was sealed after five birdies in the last six holes. She has now won six of the last 10 LPGA Tour events and her exceptional 66-card in Singapore made history. 

Jin-Young has now scored in the 60s in 15 consecutive rounds as well as 30 consecutive rounds under par. Her form is incredible and currently cannot be parallelled. Ko is unquestionably the best in the world and she could make even more history as the year goes on.

Anna Hursey

Young Welsh table tennis player Hursey will be one of the ones to watch in Birmingham later this year as she will be, at the age of just 15, the youngest athlete competing at the Commonwealth Games. She was just ten when she started playing on the professional circuit and she is following up her maiden appearance at Gold Coast 2018 when she was just 11. 

Her talent is astounding and with more experience gained since 2018, she is going to be one of the ones to watch this year.

Coco Gauff

The young American tennis star has, at such a young age, already drawn a lot of attention due to her ability to compete with players with significantly more experience on court. She has already made some impressive performances on the Grand Slam stage and reached her first final in the doubles at last year’s US Open. 

The 17-year-old is still in the adolescent stages of her professional career, but she has already shown a maturity on court beyond her years and with another year of experience under her belt, she could be set to cause a few upsets in 2022.

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