In today’s sporting world, female athletes are still forced to navigate a minefield of criticism that extends far beyond their performance on the field. Whether it is being called "too feminine" or "too masculine," judged for the length of their hair, the amount of makeup they wear, their body shape, or the way they express themselves, the scrutiny is relentless. This double standard means that many women in sport must contend with a second, often harsher, arena of abuse that exists outside the stadium, on social media and in everyday life.
The year 2025 marked a watershed moment for women’s sport in the United Kingdom. England’s Lionesses defended their European Championship title, while the Red Roses lifted the World Cup on home soil.
Individual athletes also shone: Beau Greaves delivered spectacular performances on the oche, and Lottie Woad announced herself as a rising star on the golf circuit. Yet behind these triumphs, a darker narrative was unfolding as athletes like Wales and Saracens prop forward Georgia Evans endured a wave of online vitriol simply for wearing two pink bows in her hair during the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Evans recounted the incident to Sky Sports, describing how a seemingly innocuous pre‑match post was flooded with hateful comments about her appearance. "People called me childish and silly," she said, adding that even her family and teammates were drawn into the argument.
After drafting a response a thousand times, Evans finally hit send, stating that sport should be inclusive of every haircut, body shape and personal style. "We are not defined by a ‘rugby look’," she wrote, emphasizing that a player’s attire or hairstyle has no bearing on their ability to compete. The reaction to Evans’ statement was overwhelmingly supportive. Thousands of fans turned up at the next match sporting bows of their own as a sign of solidarity.
The episode highlighted a crucial point: women athletes should never be judged on their looks, yet they continue to face that very scrutiny. A recent Women In Sport survey revealed a worrying decline in the number of girls who dream of a professional sporting career – only 23% now say they aspire to elite competition, down from 53% of boys.
The research identified feelings of exclusion, body‑image anxiety and safety concerns as major deterrents. Seventy percent of teenage girls reported avoiding sport when they were on their period, underscoring how personal health issues can intersect with broader cultural pressures.
Former Wimbledon champion and Sky Sports pundit Marion Bartoli has witnessed these pressures first‑hand in her coaching work with teenage girls. She described how social‑media commentary on a young player’s body image can erode confidence over time.
Bartoli herself was subjected to a public insult on live television after her 2013 Wimbledon victory, when a commentator suggested she did not look like Maria Sharapova. "It should have been about my win, not my appearance," she said, noting how such remarks can become a constant source of stress for young athletes. Despite the negativity, Bartoli praised athletes who stay true to themselves, citing Aryna Sabalenka’s unapologetic personality and Coco Gauff’s admiration for Serena and Venus Williams as examples of how authenticity can triumph over criticism.
Both players have embraced their individuality, proving that success does not require conformity to a narrow aesthetic. When personal attacks evolve into threats, the stakes become even higher. A joint report by the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation documented 458 instances of abuse directed at female players in 2024. High‑profile athletes such as Britain’s Katie Boulter, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and America’s Jessica Pegula have reported receiving death threats and unsolicited explicit images.
Forty percent of the abuse originated from disgruntled gamblers, according to the same study. Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini recounted a terrifying WhatsApp message that included a photo of a gun and threatened her and her family ahead of a qualifying match at Indian Wells. In another alarming case, Emma Raducanu was forced to hide behind an umpire’s chair at the Dubai Tennis Championship after a man in the crowd stalked her, later receiving a restraining order. Such incidents raise the question of why a sportswoman’s performance might suffer when she is simultaneously battling harassment, stalking and threats.
Bartoli described the experience as sending "chills down my spine" and recalled her own stalking episode at Wimbledon in 2007, when a man posing as a ground staff member followed her onto the court. The problem is not confined to tennis.
A FIFA study found that one in five women’s World Cup players in 2023 received abusive or threatening messages, a rate 29% higher than that experienced by men’s World Cup participants. During the 2025 European Championship final, a UK‑based threat‑monitoring service, Moonshoot, identified roughly 3,000 hostile social‑media posts aimed at the England women’s team.
England defender Jess Carter stepped away from social media after enduring a flood of racist abuse, and a 60‑year‑old man who sent her messages was sentenced to a suspended six‑week prison term. Cricket star Sophia Dunkley, slated for England’s T20 World Cup squad, described how her team now employs strict privacy settings and a close‑knit support network to shield players from online toxicity. "Social media can be a powerful tool for branding and positivity," she explained, "but we must balance that with protecting our mental health and staying focused on the game." Legislative attempts to curb online abuse have been introduced, such as the Online Safety Act 2023, which placed new duties on platforms to moderate harmful content.
Yet critics argue that the measures fall short of protecting female athletes. In June 2025, Sport England’s chair Chris Boardroom wrote to Ofcom urging stronger action against sexist and racist abuse targeting England’s women’s football team.
Ofcom subsequently recommended a series of reforms for tech companies, including prompts that ask users to reconsider harmful messages, bans on payments for misogynistic content, and improved filtering tools. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) now offers a suite of safety features: comment filters, limits on who can message, temporary hides for recent comments, block and "restrict" options, and collaboration with women’s safety groups to improve detection of abusive behaviour. While these tools provide some relief, many athletes remain undeterred. Golf star Charley Hull, for example, brushes off criticism about her off‑course behaviour, such as a viral video of her smoking at the 2024 US Open, stating that she simply lives authentically and does not let online opinions affect her performance.
The overarching message from athletes, coaches and advocates is clear: success in women’s sport should never be contingent upon personal safety, mental wellbeing or the right to self‑expression. As the visibility of female athletes continues to rise, the focus must shift from superficial judgments about appearance to genuine appreciation of achievement. Georgia Evans summed it up succinctly, urging a collective stand against personal attacks: "When the line is crossed, we must bind together." Sky Sports reaffirms its commitment to fostering a respectful online environment. Readers who encounter hateful comments on its platforms are encouraged to report them, providing URLs and screenshots to the designated email address.
The network promises to continue its "Beyond The Noise" series, with the next instalment featuring champion boxer Mikaela Mayer slated for release on Wednesday morning.