In elite sport, careers often change in the span of a single misstep, a twist, a pivot, a landing that goes wrong by a fraction. For female athletes, that moment comes more frequently and more devastatingly than it does for men. Across football, athletics, and basketball, women are consistently more vulnerable to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, suffering tears anywhere from two to eight times more often than their male counterparts. It is one of the starkest and most persistent inequalities in sport. The numbers tell one story, but the athletes’ experiences tell another, more humane one. In June 2025, India’s 100m hurdles star and Asian silver medallist Jyothi Yarraji tore her ACL during a routine training session, an abrupt end to one of the most promising seasons of her career. Footballers Bala Devi and Aditi Chauhan have both endured long periods on the sidelines after serious knee injuries. Their recoveries stretched across months, and their return-to-play timelines constantly shifted with each setback. Chauhan, one of India’s most decorated goalkeepers, experienced two ACL injuries during …