Gauff Tops Forbes‘ Highest-Paid Female Athlete List for 2024

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday December 18, 2024

Tennis gamers proceed to dominate Forbes annual checklist of the highest-paid feminine athletes on this planet.

Seven of the Prime 10 and 11 of the Prime 20 on Forbes checklist, which was launched on December 18, are WTA Gamers, together with cream of this yr’s crop Coco Gauff, who surpassed $30 million in earnings to turn into the third feminine athlete in historical past to document over $30 million in a single yr.

Naomi Osaka, who hit $57.4 million in earnings in 2021, and Serena Williams, who topped out with $45.9 million in the identical yr, are the opposite two.

Gauff racked up 34.4 million in complete earnings, together with 25 million from her thriving endorsement portfolio, which incorporates offers with New Steadiness, Barilla, Ray-Ban, Meta, Beats by Dre and up to date additions hair-care model Carol’s Daugher, Fanatics and Bare Juice.

The World’s Highest-Paid Feminine Athletes 2024 https://t.co/JJm0u6xnUG pic.twitter.com/nAOznjEc5k

— Forbes (@Forbes) December 18, 2024

Gauff handed 2023 chief Iga Swiatek on the checklist, out-earning the five-time main champion by over $10 million.

Swiatek, who’s No.2 on Forbes Record, earned $23.8 million, together with $15 million in endorsements to edge out No.4 on the checklist, China’s Zheng Qinwen.

Zheng, who gained the Olympic gold medal in singles, might discover her solution to the highest of the checklist within the subsequent few years, as she dramatically elevated her starpower in 2024 by reaching her maiden main ultimate and turning into the primary Chinese language lady to convey dwelling gold in Olympic tennis singles.

Zheng added Audi/ Milk Tea Chain Chagee, Lancome and cellphone maker Vivo to her endorsement portfolio, and earned a complete of $20.6 million, together with 15 mil from endorsements. Li Na appeared within the Prime 10 from 2011 to 2014.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ($18.7 million, fifth on the checklist) parlayed her greatest season as a professional to crack Forbes Prime 5. She added a watchmaker, and Acai bowl chain Oakberry to her checklist of sponsorships, in addition to two main titles.

By way of @Forbes the 20 highest-paid feminine athletes of 2024 pic.twitter.com/JAfSc8w4w3

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) December 18, 2024

At No.6 was Naomi Osaka, who earned $12.9 million, largely from endorsements to face tied with Emma Raducanu. Osaka, who earned over $50 million in 2021 and 2022, stays excessive on the checklist because of greater than a dozen sponsorship offers and her personal manufacturing firm Hana Kuma.

A poster woman for British Airways, Dior and HSBC, Raducanu remains to be searching for the on-court success that she achieved in 2021, when she gained the US Open from qualifying as an 18-year-old. She is ranked 57 and earned simply 900,000 in prize cash in 2024.

Ninth on the checklist would possibly come as a shock, as a result of our subsequent participant solely performed two matches all season. However by no means underestimate the ability of the Williams sisters. The sevent-time main champion is available in at No.9. She earned $12.1 million because of being energetic on the talking circuit, making six figures per engagement, and he or she’s very energetic as an entrepreneur. Williams additionally co-founded Palazzo, an AI powered inside design platform and was the mannequin for a barbie doll created as a part of the toy’s sixty fifth anniversary.

Jessica Pegula ($10.2 million), Jasmine Paolini ($8 million), Elena Rybakina ($7.9 million) and Leylah Fernandez ($6.5 million), additionally reached the Prime 20 in Forbes checklist.