Over the years, Instagram has become a popular platform for following your favorite celebrities, athletes, and influencers.
Moreover, sports athletes have some of the highest followings on Instagram. Especially female athletes have a comparatively huge number of followers on the platform than their male counterparts.
So which female athletes are the most followed ones on Instagram?
As we were curious to know the answer, we have compiled a list of some of the top female athletes who have the most followers on Instagram.
The list has been prepared regarding the recent (March 2022) female athletes’ Instagram followings. So, let’s get into the details.
10 Most Followed Female Athletes on Instagram
The list below has been prepared with the help of popular sites from the internet like Pledgesports, Instagram, etc. But before diving into the list, let us give a quick look at the table below.
| Athlete Name | Instagram Following |
| 10. Natalya Neidhart | 4.5 million |
| 9. Natalie Eve Marie | 5.3 million |
| 8. Paige | 6 million |
| 7. Simone Biles | 6.9 million |
| 6. Brie Bella | 8.3 million |
| 5. Sania Mirza | 8.9 million |
| 4. Alex Morgan | 9.4 million |
| 3. Nikki Bella | 10.2 million |
| 2. Serena Williams | 14.3 million |
| 1. Ronda Rousey | 14.7 million |
10. Natalya Neidhart
- Instagram handle: @natbynature
- Followers: 4.5 million
A professional wrestler Natalya Neidhart is a famous Hart wrestling family member. She performs in the WWE’s SmackDown under her ring name Natalya.
Natalya is a third-generation professional wrestler. She is the daughter of a Hall of Famer and a former member of Hart Foundation Jim Neidhart.
She made her WWE debut in 2007, and she is a two-time women’s world champion. Additionally, she is the first woman in WWE history to win both Divas Championship and the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Furthermore, Natalya has set three records in the Guinness Book of World Records. She has the record for most pay-per-view appearances, most matches, and most wins by a female WWE wrestler.
Likewise, Natalya has been the main cast of the WWE’s reality T.V. series, Total Divas, since 2013. A little fact, she has been writing columns in the Calgary Sun and Edmonton Sun about herself since 2017.
9. Natalie Eva Marie
- Instagram handle: @natalieevamarie
- Followers: 5.3 million
Natalie Eva Marie is an actress, fashion designer, and also model. However, she is most famous among her followers and fans as a professional wrestler in WWE as Eva Marie.
She made her debut in the WWE’s main roster in 2013. Similarly, she was also starred in the WWE’s reality T.V. series of Total Divas. Before becoming an official part of SmackDown, Eva Marie wrestled in the WWE’s development brand, NXT.
A little fact that many might not know is that she was the manager for The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie Bella). However, although she enjoyed success in the WWE, she left in 2017.
But, Eva Marie has enjoyed further success out of WWE. In 2017, after leaving WWE, she debuted in acting in the movie Inconceivable. Since then, Marie has made multiple appearances in T.V. shows and even launched a fitness program.
Similarly, she has launched a fashion brand NEM. However, Eva Marie returned to WWE for a brief moment in late 2020 and early 2021 but was released during a mass layoff.
8. Paige
- Instagram handle: @realpaigewwe
- Followers: 6 million
On our number 8 of the most followed female athletes on Instagram is another former WWE professional wrestler Paige. Born as Saraya-Jade Bevis, she is most famously known by her stage name.
Before making her debut in the WWE world, Paige wrestled for her family’s World Association of Wrestling promotion at age 13. She wrestled under the name Britani Knight.
Paige then moved on to wrestle on the WWE’s brand NXT. WWE signed her in 2011, and she made her debut in 2012. Part of the first NXT roaster, she was the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion.
Her debut in the main roster was in RAW. Paige then became the only female wrestler to hold the Divas Championship and NXT Women’s Championships simultaneously. Similarly, she is also the youngest Divas Champion.
However, Paige had to take hiatus due to a neck injury in 2015 and 2016. She did undergo neck surgery, but before long, the injury returned. As a result, she retired from WWE in 2018. Currently, she is signed to WWE as an ambassador.
7. Simone Biles
- Instagram handle: @simonebiles
- Followers: 6.9 million
With an Instagram follower of over 6.9 million, we have an Olympian on our number 7. Simone Biles is one of the greatest and dominant artistic gymnasts of all time.
Biles took up gymnastics from an early age. The Olympian began her career competing in the junior gymnastic champions before making her senior debut in 2013.
After going through some rough patches, Biles made her first breakthrough in the 2016 Summer Olympics. She won an individual gold medal in all-around, vault, four, and as part of the United States team. Similarly, she won bronze and beam balance.
Biles has the combined 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is one of the greatest, but she is also one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time.
Having one of the most impressive achievements, Biles is the first American female gymnast to win a world medal in every event. In addition, her partial withdrawal from the 2020 Summer Olympics to focus on her mental health earned her worldwide praise.
6. Brie Bella
- Instagram handle: @thebriebella
- Followers: 8.3 million
Brie Bella is half of the famous WWE duo, The Bella Twins. Born as Brianna Monique Danielson, she is a professional wrestler who is also a reality T.V. personality.
Before getting into wrestling, Brie modeled, acted, and did promotional work. She had even appeared in the Fox reality show Meet My Folks.
She and her sister were signed by the WWE in 2007 and made their ring debut on September 17, 2007. Since then, Brie has become WWE Divas champion on one occasion.
Similarly, Brie is also part of the WWE reality T.V. show, Total Divas. Although she has taken an extended break from in-ring, she is still working as an ambassador for the WWE and makes sporadic appearances.
Brie Bella is married to fellow professional wrestler Daniel Bryan and has two children. It has been announced that she and her sister Nikki will be competing in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
5. Sania Mirza
- Instagram handle: @mirzasaniar
- Followers: 8.9 million
On our number 5 of the most followed female athletes on Instagram is an Indian tennis player and beauty, Sania Mirza. She is the highest-ranked female tennis player from India.
Mirza was born in Mumbai, Maharastra. Her father trained her in tennis, and she started her professional tennis journey in 2003. She won 10 singles and 13 double titles in her junior years.
She is famous for winning over world-famous players like former world No.1s Martina Hingis, Dinara Safina, and Victoria Azarenka.
In addition to winning 14 medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and the Afro-Asian Games, Mirza has won a singles title and a Grand Slam title. She is one of the only two Indian female tennis players to win a WTA title of any kind.
With many achievements and titles over the year, Mirza was named in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world in the 2016 Time magazine.
In 2022, Mirza has declared retirement from professional tennis. She is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
4. Alex Morgan
- Instagram handle: @alexmorgan13
- Followers: 9.4 million
Aside from having one of the most Instagram followers, Alex Morgan also is considered one of the most beautiful women’s soccer players. She currently plays for the NWSL’s team San Diego Wave F.C.
Having started her career with a youth club, Western New York Flash drafted Morgan as number one overall in the 2011 WPS Draft.
Similarly, Morgan has also been part of the American Women’s national football team. Before her debut in the national team in 2010, Morgan also played for the U-20 division.
Likewise, she has been signed by several teams like the Orlando Pride, Tottenham Hotspur, and a few others over the years. In 2022, Morgan was signed by the San Diego Wave F.C.
Because of her popularity and talent, she became the first female soccer player to appear in the 2015 FIFA video games. Furthermore, Times listed Morgan in their list for the 100 Most Influential People of 2019.
3. Nikki Bella
- Instagram handle: @thenikkibella
- Followers: 10.2 million
The next female athlete on our list is the other half of The Bella Twins, Nikki Bella. Born as Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, she is famously known for her in-ring name. She is also currently signed with WWE.
With her sister, Nikki made her debut in the WWE. Likewise, she is also part of the WWE Reality T.V. show, Total Divas. Like her sister, she worked as a model and actor and did promotional work before the WWE debut.
Nikki is a former two-times WWE Divas Champion. In addition, she held the title longer than any other WWE female wrestler. She is also a WWE Hall of Famer.
The other thing that she was famous for was dating a fellow wrestler, John Cena. Although they got engaged at one point, they called off their engagement and canceled their wedding.
Currently, Nikki is engaged to a Russian dancer Artem Chigvintsev and welcomed a baby boy on July 31, 2020.
2. Serena Williams
- Instagram handle: @serenawilliams
- Followers: 14.3 million
We are down to our number 2 of the most followed female athletes on Instagram. We have Serena Williams, who is also widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Making her professional debut at age 14, Williams attended a tennis academy before that. She won her first professional singles titles at Open Gaz de France in 1998.
Williams was ranked as singles world No. 1 eight times between 2002 and 2017. She is the only American player to win more than 20 major titles.
In addition to her titles, she has the most major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among the active players. William is a popular, iconic figure for aspiring girls worldwide.
Serena is one of the most popular American athletes. Furthermore, she ranks among America’s richest self-made women.
William is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and has a daughter with him.
1. Ronda Rousey
- Instagram handle: @rondarousey
- Followers: 14.7 million
The number 1 female athlete with the most Instagram following is WWE wrestler Ronda Rousey. She is also a former judoka and mixed martial artist and actress.
Although Rousey is known for her WWE appearance, she is famous for being a former UFC fighter. She debuted in MMA in 2011 and held the Women’s Bantamweight Champion title. She retired in 2016.
Ronda became the first female fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. The same year, WWE signed her, and she started her WWE journey.
Already famous for her time in UFC, Rousey headlined in the WWE’s inaugural all-women’s pay-per-view. Similarly, she also won the Raw Women’s Champion in the same year at SummerSlam.
Rousey has been described as one of the defining athletes of the 21st century by Fox Sports. Along with appearing in several movies, she also released an autobiography in 2015.
Currently, she performs in WWE’s SmackDown. She is engaged with UFC fighter Travis Browne and, on September 27, 2021, gave birth to a baby girl.
Conclusion
This concludes our list for the most followed female athletes on Instagram. They share snippets of their personal lives with their fans and followers, which is a treat.
Do you follow any of these amazing athletes on Instagram? Let us know!
