Queen of Sport

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born in Nyaga, Russia on April 19, 1987 but, at the age of five, was ‘discovered’ by Martina Navratilova at a tennis clinic in Moscow. On the advice of the 18-time Grand Slam singles winner, Sharapova to Florida with her father in 1994 and never really looked back.

Sharapova turned professional in 2001, at the age of 14, at a time when her aggressive, hard-hitting style of play – characterised by powerful serving and ground strokes – was starting to become en vogue. She eventually grew to a height of 6’2″, which gave her a significant height advantage over most opponents.

In any event, Sharapova won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2004, beating Serena Williams in straight sets in the final. She went on to become the first and, so far, only Russian woman to complete a career Grand Slam, winning the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open twice, in 2012 and 2014.

In February, 2016, Sharapova admitted that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open the previous month, having tested positive for meldonium, or mildronate, on the same day as her quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams. The drug, which she had knowingly taken for ten years, was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on January 1, 2016. Sharapova was, nonetheless, suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for two years, reduced to 15 months on appeal.

On her return to the WTA Tour in April, 2017, her comeback was hampered by ongoing injury problems. Having failed to regain her previous form, in February, 2020, at the age of 32, Sharapova announced her shock retirement in an exclusive essay for ‘Vanity Fair’ and ‘Vogue’.

Instantly recognisable by her cropped blonde or, more recently, pink hair, Megan Rapinoe is known for her outspoken views on politics and social justice issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. However, it should not be forgotten that it was her skill on the football field that made her a public figure in the first place.

Now 36, Rapinoe has played her club football in the Pacific Northwest, for Seattle Reign FC – or OL Reign FC, after the club became part of the Olympique Lyonnais family in 2020 – in Seattlle, Washington since 2013. Seattle Reign FC won National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Shield twice, in 2014 and 2015, and Rapinoe has captained the side since 2018.

A left-sided attacking midfielder or winger by trade, Rapinoe has also demonstrated her creative, dynamic style of play to excellent effect at international level down the years. As part of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), which she co-captained between 2018 and 2020, she has played in three World Cups, in 2011, 2015 and 2019, and at three Summer Olympic Games, in 2012, 2016 and 2020. After finishing runners-up in 2011, the USWNT won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019; they also won the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 and the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, Rapinoe not only won her second World Cup title, but also the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards. In an incredible year, she was also named the Best FIFA Women’s Player and won the second ever Ballon d’Or Féminin, presented by France Football.

Born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on February 17, 1989, Rebecca Adlington was introduced to swimming at an early age. In her early career, she won the gold medal in the girls’ 800-metres freestyle at the European Junior Championships in Lisbon, Portugal in July, 2004 and the silver medal in the women’s 800-metres freestyle at the European Championships in Hungary, Budapest in August, 2006, on her senior international debut.

However, it was at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China that Adlington would become a household name. Still only 19, and with little expectation, she nonetheless won gold medals in both the 400-metres freestyle and 800-metres freestyle. Indeed, in the final of the latter event, Adlington swam a time of 8:14.10, taking 2.12 seconds off the previous long course world record, set by American Janet Evans 19 years previously.

Adlington’s victory in the 400-metres freestyle made her the first British female swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal since Anita Lonsbrough won the 200-metres breaststroke at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Furthermore, she also became the first British swimmer, male or female, to win more than one gold medal at the same Games since Henry Taylor won three at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

Adlington was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List for 2009. She went on to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, winning bronze medals in the 400-metres freestyle and 800-metres freestyle. At the time of her retirement from competitive swimming the following February, at the age of 23, Adlington was the most decorated and successful British female Olympic swimmer of all time.

Alexandra ‘Alex’ Morgan Carrasco (née Morgan) has the distinction of being one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history in the history of the the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). At the last count, she had made 190 appearances for the Stars and Stripes, scoring 115 goals and delivering 45 assists. Morgan also co-captained the team, alongside Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe, between 2018 and 2020.

Predominantly, but not exclusively, left footed, Morgan was only 20 when she made her debut for the USWNT in a 1-0 victory over Mexico in a friendly match at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, Colorado on March 31, 2010. As the youngest member of the team, she earned the nickname ‘Baby Horse’, which reflected her youth, pace and direct style of play. Morgan remains a natural centre-forward but, down the years, has grown into versatile, well-rounded forward, who is equally at home on the wing as is in a more central position.

Morgan made her FIFA Women’s World Cup debut in 2011, scoring in a 3-1 victory over France in the semi-final and again in a 2-2 draw, after extra time, with Japan in the final. The USWNT eventually lost 3-1 on penalties on that occasion, but Morgan would play a leading role in winning the World Cup in both 2015 and 2019, receiving the Silver Boot on the latter occasion, after scoring six goals and delivering three assists. In between times, Morgan also won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, scoring the winning goal in extra time in a 4-3 victory over Canada in the semi-final. Indeed, in 2012 as a whole, Morgan scored 28 goals in 31 matches, thereby becoming the youngest USWNT player to score 20 goals in a single season.