Forbes Top 10 Highest-Paid Female Athletes

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Top 10 Highest Paid Female Athletes

The earnings tally looks at prize money, salaries, bonuses, endorsements and appearance fees between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020. The time frame means the Coronavirus had only a marginal impact as tennis players missed out on prize money from just two and a half months of missed events. But earnings will be down significantly in next year’s accounting. In addition to the cancellation of Wimbledon, the WTA canceled its seven events in China scheduled for October and November 2020, including the lucrative WTA Finals. Prize money for the events in China would have totaled roughly $30 million. Almost all players will also have reductions in their apparel and racket contracts for not meeting minimum play requirements.[1]

Background

For female athletes out to get rich from their dominance, tennis is the go-to sport. Nine of the world’s ten highest-paid female athletes make their living with a racket, with the only exception in 2020 being Alex Morgan, co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, who lands at No. 10 with $4.6 million. The aces can thank Rosie Casals.

Casals, whose 112 doubles tournament titles are the second-highest total ever, was one of nine female tennis players, dubbed the Original 9, who broke ranks with the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association a half-century ago to protest the dollar difference between male and female prize money, which reached as high as 12-to-1 at events. The fight—which led to players including Casals and her longtime doubles partner Billie Jean King being banned from events sanctioned by the USLTA—gave birth to the Virginia Slims Tour, which later morphed into the WTA.

2020 Rankings

Number One - Naomi Osaka

Osaka held dual citizenship growing up but made the wise choice to represent Japan ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, now scheduled for 2021. The decision made her an even hotter commodity for Olympic sponsors, like Procter & Gamble PG -0.4%, All Nippon Airways and Nissin, which signed endorsement deals with Osaka to use her around marketing for the Games. Among all tennis players, only Roger Federer made more than Osaka from endorsements.

  • Total Earnings: $37.4 million
  • Prize Money: $3.4 million
  • Endorsements: $34 million

Number Two - Serena Williams

Endorsement partners like Nike, Gatorade, Procter & Gamble and Beats get a boost from Serena’s massive social media following of nearly 40 million fans across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, are part of an investment group that was awarded the newest National Women’s Soccer League expansion team in Los Angeles this summer. Their daughter, Olympia, is also part of the group and at 2 years old became the youngest known professional sports team owner.

  • Total Earnings: $36 million
  • Prize Money: $4 million
  • Endorsements: $32 million

Number Three - Ashleigh Barty

Barty won her first career Slam at the 2019 French Open, triggering lucrative bonuses from sponsors Fila and Head. She also endorses Rado, Jaguar, Vegemite, Banana Boat and Esmi. In June 2019, she became the first Australian women ranked No. 1 since 1976.

  • Total Earnings: $13.1 million
  • Prize Money: $10.1 million
  • Endorsements: $3 million

Number Four - Simona Halep

Halep added her second career Slam title at Wimbledon last year, and her $36.5 million in career prize money ranks fourth all-time. (Williams is first at $93 million.) Halep’s sponsors include global brands Nike, Wilson, Hublot and Avon, as well as several more in her native Romania.

  • Total Earnings: $10.9 million
  • Prize Money: $6.9 million
  • Endorsements: $4 million

Number Five - Bianca Andreescu

Andreescu made history as the first Canadian, male or female, to win a Grand Slam event when she captured the 2019 U.S. Open. The title and her No. 5 year-end world ranking triggered lucrative bonuses from sponsor Nike, which renegotiated her contract earlier in the year. Since the Open title, she’s added deals with Rolex, Gatorade, Canadian paper company Royale and Sleep Country mattresses.

  • Total Earnings: $8.9 million
  • Prize Money: $4.9 million
  • Endorsements: $4 million

Number Six - Garbiñe Muguruza

The Spanish-Venezuelan tennis star’s runner-up finish at this year’s Australian Open was only her second time advancing past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since her 2017 Wimbledon title. But she maintains a strong endorsement portfolio with Adidas, Beats, Rolex, Cesar insurance, Babolat and Maui Jim sunglasses. Her Adidas deal is one of the bigger apparel deals in the sport.

  • Total Earnings: $6.6 million
  • Prize Money: $2.1 million
  • Endorsements: $4.5 million

Number Seven - Elina Svitolina

The Ukrainian reached the semifinals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2019, and she matched her career-high No. 3 world ranking. Svitolina counts Nike, Wilson, Hublot, Damilano Barolo wines and EAFit nutrition products as sponsors.

  • Total Earnings: $6.4 million
  • Prize Money: $5.4 million
  • Endorsements: $1 million

Number Eight - Sofia Kenin

Kenin won the Australian Open in January, building on her WTA Most Improved Player Award in 2019. At 21, she was the youngest American to win a Slam since Serena Williams in 2002. Her main sponsors are Fila and Babolat.

  • Total Earnings: $5.8 million
  • Prize Money: $4.8 million
  • Endorsements: $1 million

Number Nine - Angelique Kerber

Kerber’s three Grand Slam wins since the start of 2016 are the most in women’s tennis. Her most lucrative sponsorship deal is with Adidas, which has partnered with the German tennis star since 2013. Other endorsements include Yonex, Generali, Porsche and Lavazza.

  • Total Earnings: $5.3 million
  • Prize Money: $1.3 million
  • Endorsements: $4 million

Number Ten - Alex Morgan

Morgan extended her deal with Nike after the 2019 World Cup with a clause that guaranteed pay for 18 months even if she was not playing. Nike had previously been criticized for a lack of maternity protection in its contracts with female athletes. Morgan gave birth to her first child in May 2020. She is launching her own media company, with more details expected by the end of the year.

  • Total Earnings: $4.6 million
  • Salary/bonus: $400,000
  • Endorsements: $4.2 million



References

  1. Kurt Badenhausen, [1], Forbes, Published: 17 August, 2020, Accessed: 10 February, 2021

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