Naomi Osaka replaces Serena Williams: the highest paid athletes in the world
The two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka (22) has become the highest paid athlete in the world. The Japanese, according to Forbes magazine, has earned $ 37.4 million ($ 34.3 million) in the past twelve months, $ 1.4 million more than its competitor Serena Williams.
by SID
last edit: May 23, 2020, 08:33 am
American Williams (38) had topped the list in the previous four years. Both have now surpassed the previous annual record set by former Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova in 2015 with $ 29.7 million (€ 27.3 million).
For the first time since 2016, two women made it into the top 100 highest paid athletes in the world. Osaka is in 29th place, Williams in 33rd place. Only Sharapova and Li Na have been successful before.
"For outsiders, Osaka is a new face with a great career," said David Carter, professor of sports management. "She is young and binational, which makes her appeal to a younger, global audience. This results in an emerging global sports icon."
Naomi Osaka highest paid athlete of the year
The full Forbes list of the 100 highest paid athletes will be released next week. The US business magazine uses not only prize money for its calculations, but also income from sponsorship contracts or entry bonuses.
Born in Japan, Osaka won the US Open 2018 and the Australian Open 2019 and has been number one in the WTA world rankings for 25 weeks to date. Osaka is currently supported by 15 sponsors, including global brands such as Nissan Motor, Nike and Yonex.