Osaka, Williams, Barty & Co .: 9 tennis players among the Forbes top 10
Naomi Osaka is the highest-paid female athlete in the world - that's what the US financial magazine Forbes has calculated. In any case, tennis is at the forefront when it comes to "earnings".
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
Aug 18, 2020, 01:29 pm

Osaka is said to have raised $ 37.4 million between June 1, 2019 and June 1, 2020 - most of it through advertising. Which, of course, she owes primarily to her Grand Slam victories at the US Open 2018 and the Australian Open 2019.
Osaka is ahead of Serena Williams, who brought it to 36 million US dollars, 32 million of which from advertising contracts. In third place is the current number 1 in the world, Ashleigh Barty, with $ 13.1 million. In which "only" 3 million from advertising are included: Barty had earned 10.1 million US dollars on the tennis court, after her victory at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen alone, it made 4.4 million "ring-rings" in the box office.
Rosie Casals: "Proud of where women's tennis is 50 years later"
There is still a great distance to the men, here Roger Federer was at the top for the first time this year , with 106.3 million US dollars in total income, 100 million of which from advertising.
Nevertheless, tennis is THE source of income for women athletes: Nine of the top ten places in terms of income come from tennis. The only exception: Alex Morgan, co-captain of the US soccer team, which ranks tenth with $ 4.6 million.
"I'm proud of where women's tennis is 50 years later - and to know that we were one of the decisive factors in today's success," Rosie Casals is quoted as saying. Casals was one of the "Original 9" players who were once involved in founding their own women's tour and in the WTA.
The US Open in 1973 was the first Grand Slam tournament to distribute equal prize money to men and women, and Wimbledon was the last major tournament to follow in 2007.
The top earners in sport
sportswoman | Total Revenue (in US $ million) | of which prize money (in million US dollars) | Advertising revenue, sign-up fees, etc. (in million US dollars) |
1. Naomi Osaka | 37.4 | 3.4 | 34 (including Nissan Motor, Shisheido, Yonex, Procter & Gamble, All Nippon Airways, Nissin |
2. Serena Williams | 36 | 4th | 32 (including Nike, Wilson, Gatorade, Procter & Gamble, Beats) |
3. Ashleigh Barty | 13.1 | 10.1 | 3 (including Fila, Head, Rado, Vegemite, Banana Boat, Esmi) |
4. Simona Halep | 10.9 | 6.9 | 4 (including Nike, Wilson, Hublot, Avon) |
5. Bianca Andreescu | 8.9 | 4.9 | 4 (including Rolex, Gatorade, Canadian paper company Royale, Sleep county mattresses) |
6. Garbine Muguruza | 6.6 | 2.1 | 4.5 (including Adidas, Beats, Rolex, Cesar insurance, Babolat, Maui Jim sunglasses) |
7. Elina Svitolina | 6.4 | 5.4 | 1 (including Nike, Wilson, Hublot, Damilano Barolo wines, EAFit nutrition products) |
8. Sofia Kenin | 5.8 | 4.8 | 1 (including Fila, Babolat) |
9. Angelique Kerber | 5.3 | 1.3 | 4 (including Adidas, Yonex, Generali, Porsche, Lavazza) |
10. Alex Morgan | 4.6 | 0.4 | 4.2 (including Nike) |