An introduction to women's sport 2020

Women’s sport has started to shake things up in 2020, and moving forward it intends to do more of the same. For too long, female athletes have not been afforded the same admiration and adoration as their male counterparts, but things are starting to become more balanced now. For sports fans everywhere, this means more women’s sport broadcast on television, larger prizes for women’s competitions and greater respect afforded to women’s teams in traditionally masculine sports like football and rugby.

Female athletes provide just as much excitement and entertainment on the pitch as men do, so recently there has also been an uptake in sports betting within the women's sector. Online sportsbooks like Spreadex are easy to navigate, and mean that fans can easily place a wager on big names like Serena Williams or back teams such as Chelsea FC Women to show their support.

Let’s take a look at some of the names making waves out in the field.

Football

Whilst the US National Team are, on paper, the most successful women’s football team in the world, our very own Arsenal W.F.C. are the most successful women’s football club in the UK. After forming in 1993 as the Arsenal Ladies team, they’ve gone on to become record holders in the FA Women’s Cup and the Women’s Premier League Cup, as well as securing a UEFA Women’s Champion League win. They are currently first in the league table for the 2020-21 WSL.

Indeed, many women football players in the UK and around the world are getting famous for what was once a men-dominated sport. When it comes to supporting young football players, the government and private agencies work together to hone the best players without gender specification and discrimination.

AKE Sports Management in London, UK, and similar football agencies in the world play an essential role in supporting young men and women athletes. They identify young players with promising potential and guide them in their journey and sports careers. 

Aside from athletic development and introducing young players to the sports they want to excel in, such dedicated sports agencies can also help in managing complex contract negotiations, talent brand building and marketing, and administrative support. 

Tennis

Between them, Serena and Venus Williams have smashed the patriarchal norms of the tennis world with their outstanding careers, but what about the newcomers in women’s tennis? Ashleigh Barty of Australia currently ranks as the number one female tennis player in the world, aged just 24, followed by Simona Halep of Romania and Karolina Pliskova of Czechia. However, it would be wise to watch out for hot new names like Bianca Andreescu and Naomi Osaka in the future.

The Associated Press named Naomi Osaka as the 2020 Female Athlete of the Year, wherein she garnered 71 total points and brought home 18 out of 35 first-place votes. She beat out WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart with 60 points or nine first-place votes and Sarah Fuller with 24 points or one first-place vote. 

Furthermore, Osaka won the US Open in 2020, the athlete’s third Grand Slam title. She’s not only a top-notch in tennis but also a social justice advocate, making a great mark off the court.

Golf

As of right now, Korean golfer Ko Jin-young ranks as the number one ranked women’s golf pro in the world, at just 25 years of age. More and more young women are now joining the ranks of female golfers tearing up the turf in prestigious competitions like the ANA Inspiration and the Evian Championship, both of which Ko won last year. Ones to watch include the USA’s Nelly Korda and China’s Muni He.

For more information on women in sport, you can read our sister site, Women’s Sport Daily.

Photo by Katie Chan CC BY-SA 4.0