Tennis continues to dominate the list of highest earners in female sports, with as many as nine of the fifteen highest earners in women’s sports coming from that field, as per sports business analysts Sportico.
In a list consisting of names lower down such as WNBA rookie and potential face of the league Caitlin Clark and Team USA Olympics star Simone Biles, both largely carried by their hefty endorsement deals, four of the top five athletes figuring on this list are tennis players, with a healthy combination of prize money and sponsorships boosting them to the top
Here is a list of the top five highest earners in women’s sports in 2024.
5. Aryna Sabalenka: $17.7 million
A pair of grand slam victories in Australia and the US Open, as well as the year-end number one ranking, has triggered a set of bonuses for Belarusian Sabalenka. Sabalenka’s on-court success was the primary reason for her windfall: in a list of highest prize money earners, Sabalenka would sit on top, with $9.7 million from tournament success alone.
4. Qinwen Zheng: $20.6 million
The rising star of tennis from China, Qinwen continues to develop at a steady and impressive rate, but massive endorsements from her homeland mean that she finds herself earning $15 million in deals at just the age of 22. Add to this her visibility as the gold medallist in women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, and it is clear why her stocks are so vast. Only expected to rise.
3. Iga Swiatek: $21.4 million
Although 2024 ended on a sour note for Swiatek after her one-month suspension for evidence of doping, continued success means the world number two remains on this list, thanks in no small part to her being the face of On, the Swiss sports apparel company spearheaded by Roger Federer.
2. Eileen Gu: $22.1 million
The only non-tennis athlete in this top five, a whopping 22 million USD in endorsements alone means Winter Olympics gold medallist skiier Eileen Gu cracks the top two. A resident of the USA who represents China, Gu receives the best of both worlds in terms of sponsors. A modelling contract with agency IMG puts the cherry on top, having starred in all the major fashion magazines since her global breakthrough as a teenager.
1. Coco Gauff: $30.4 million
Earning almost as much prize money as Sabalenka and almost as many in endorsements as Gu, American tennis star Coco Gauff blows everyone else out of the water with over 30 million USD earned in 2024. A victor of the WTA Finals, Team USA’s flagbearer alongside LeBron James at the Paris Olympics, established as one of the three best tennis players in the world, and set for a serious tilt at world number one in 2025, Gauff’s star continues to rise at just 20.
Add to that a fresh partnership with Tony Godsick, who was the agent of the constantly endorsement-savvy Roger Federer, plus a mega-money extension with New Balance. and it’s no surprise that Gauff brings home the big bucks.
