Utilizing a dataset comprising 696 core journal articles retrieved from the CNKI database, this study conducted an in-depth data mining and thematic analysis of the research outcomes in women’s sports in China since the 21st century, employing the CiteSpace software. The aim was to delineate clearly the disciplinary characteristics, research hotspots, and the evolutionary trajectory of frontier dynamics within this field. The research indicates that the prominent themes in women’s sports research in China since the 21st century encompass middle-aged and elderly women and sports health, the integration of women’s sports and culture, the evolution of women’s sports history and ideology, as well as women’s sports sociology and health. The frontier themes are categorized into diminishing frontiers (including women, women’s movement, gender, Tang Dynasty sports, and modern sports) and expanding frontiers (encompassing professional women, sporting activities, women’s sports, sports history, and bone mineral density). Recommendations include the establishment of a multidisciplinary collaborative research platform to enrich disciplinary perspectives; deepening comparative international research on women’s sports and introducing localized integration strategies; and expanding research in the field of women’s sports consumption, with a focus on the psychological effects and long-term health impacts of sporting activities.