Nine of the Top 15 highest-paid female athletes in 2024 were women’s tennis players

Coco Gauff topped the list with an estimated $30.4 million in earnings—becoming only the third woman to cross the $30 million a year mark, after Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

ByStephanie Livaudais

Published Dec 06, 2024

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Advantage, Coco Gauff. The 2024 WTA Finals champion has finished her season on a high note, being named as the world’s highest-paid female athlete—again.

For the second year in a row, the American has topped Sportico’s list of the highest earners in women’s sports, as tennis players now occupy nine of the Top 15 spots on the annual report released this week.

Gauff took home an estimated $30.4 million in earnings in 2024, with $9.4 million coming in prize money and the rest earned through endorsements. That makes her only the third woman to earn more than $30 million a year, after Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

The American’s biggest on-court payday of the year came at the WTA Finals, where she pocketed a cool $4.8 million for lifting the champion’s trophy. But it was her brand portfolio that, according to Sportico, set her apart from the rest. Thanks to deals with New Balance, Head, UPS, Bose, Rolex, L’Oreal and more, Gauff has earned an estimated $21 million in endorsements—more than any other athlete on the Top 15 list, save for Chinese skiing phenom Gu Ailing ($22 million, $22.1 million total).

To put it in perspective: Gauff’s endorsements alone have reportedly netted her almost as much as the total earnings of the next two tennis players on the list, Iga Swiatek ($21.4 million) and Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million).

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Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff were featured on Sportico's Top 15 list of the highest earners in women's sports.

But the American isn’t the only one cashing in, as 2024 has also been a banner year for Zheng—on and off the court. Her gold medal triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris catapulted her into stardom in China, and the 22-year-old boasts a growing roster that includes Nike, Lancome, Gatorade, Wilson, Rolex, Chagee, Audi and more.

The Top 15 list also featured world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ($17.7 million) and Elena Rybakina ($7.9 million), while Jasmine Paolini ($10 million) and Jessica Pegula ($8.2 million) stand out as the only two out of nine tennis players who earned more in prize money than endorsements.

Tennis Players in Sportico’s Top 15 Highest-Paid Female Athletes:

1. Coco Gauff — $30.4M ($9.4M winnings, $21M endorsements)
3. Iga Swiatek — $21.4M ($8.4M winnings, $13M endorsements)
4. Zheng Qinwen — $20.6M ($5.6M winnings, $15M endorsements)
5. Aryna Sabalenka — $17.7M ($9.7M winnings, $8M endorsements)
6. Naomi Osaka — $15.9M ($870K winnings, $15M endorsements)
7. Emma Raducanu — $14.7M ($671K winnings, $14M endorsements)
11. Jasmine Paolini — $10M ($6.5M winnings, $3.5M endorsements)
13. Jessica Pegula — $8.2M ($4.2M winnings, $4M endorsements)
14. Elena Rybakina — $7.9M ($3.9M winnings, $4M endorsements)

According to Sportico, the endorsement earnings are estimated figures that have been compiled through “conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements” and also include royalties, memorabilia, appearance fees, media and businesses tied to their celebrity.

Last year, Sportico named soccer player Cristiano Rolando as the world’s highest-paid athlete with an estimated $275 million in earnings—$215 million coming from his salary. Novak Djokovic was the highest-paid tennis player of 2023, with $29 million of his $44.9 million coming via endorsements.

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