Are women athletes still judged by appearance rather than performance

Scrolling through twitter the other day, I came across a vile tweet with a video where men were comparing the so-called “beauty levels” of Australian and Indian women cricketers. It made me pause, not just at the misogyny of it, but at how normalised this kind of sexist commentary has become. Digging a little deeper, a familiar truth emerged: The deeply patriarchal field of sports never fails to objectify women, even when they succeed at levels few can reach.

Female athletes are almost always asked about their appearance, personal lives and/ or relationships, questions that distract from their athletic prowess and reduce them to superficial traits, while male athletes are questioned about tactics and future goals (because clearly only men have careers worth discussing). Interviews get even more troubling by turning into outright objectification, ranking athletes through their physical attractiveness rather than their skill. This trivialises their achievement and reinforces the stereotype that women in sport are valued more for how they look rather than what they do.

Serena Williams hass been repeatedly asked about motherhood instead of her legacy, and was infamously depicted in a racist, sexist caricature. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Eugenie Bouchard was asked to twirl on court to show off her outfit. Indian Cricketer, Smriti Mandhana has faced sexist remarks for being “too muscular” recently, in a sport that demands strength and agility. 

Media plays a powerful role in shaping public perception, and when women athletes are constantly compared to the patriarchal standards of femininity, it reinforces these biases across the channels. Those deemed less “glamorous” receive less coverage, leading to brands less likely to invest in athletes for their sporting skills. Over time, this creates a hostile and discouraging environment that pushes women out of sport altogether.

Language matters too. Women’s sports are almost always marked as the “other” (women’s football, ladies’ singles) while men’s sport remains the default. Research shows women athletes are more likely to be called “girls” or “ladies,” - terms that infantilise and diminish their professionalism.

Questions remain whether society is willing to see women athletes beyond their appearance. As long as interviews continue to highlight looks over skill, until performance becomes the only default, equality in sport will remain a far fetched dream. Challenging this bias requires accountability from media, fans, athletes and sporting institutions alike. Let us celebrate women for their strength, strategy, skill and resilience, rather than their conformity to “beauty standards”.