9 out of 10: WTA dominates Forbes highest-paid female athletes list

Earlier this year Forbes announced that Naomi Osaka had become the highest-paid female athlete in history. This week Forbes released its top 10 highest-paid female athletes list, which demonstrates the WTA’s dominance of women’s sport in terms of earning potential.

Utsubo Tennis Center – Naomi Osaka

Chris Oddo

August 19, 2020

WTA players have completely dominated Forbes list of the highest-paid female athletes for 2020. Nine of the lists’ top 10 are WTA stars, with 22-year-old Naomi Osaka topping the list thanks to a record $37.4 million haul, earned during the 52-week period beginning on June 1, 2019.

In May, Forbes announced that World No 10 Osaka had become the highest-paid female athlete in history. The Japanese megastar, who earned $34 million in endorsements over the 52-week period, eclipsed the all-time record set by Maria Sharapova in 2015. Osaka has also fared well against the men. She currently ranks 29th on Forbes’ list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes for 2020, 11 spots in front of her fellow Japanese star, Kei Nishikori.

Tennis players dominate @Forbes look at the highest-paid female athletes:

1. Naomi Osaka: $37.4M
2. Serena Williams: $36M
3. Ashleigh Barty: $13.1M
4. Simona Halep: $10.9M
5. Bianca Andreescu: $8.9Mhttps://t.co/coFkTYOvyP pic.twitter.com/QLFQfXEIXN

— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) August 17, 2020

Osaka isn’t far ahead of Serena Williams, who earned $36 million in the same time period, with $32 million of her total coming from endorsements. Williams ranks 33rd on the overall list.

Ashleigh Barty, thanks to her $4.42 million paycheck at last year’s WTA Finals in Shenzhen, ranks third on the female list, with $13.1 million earned.

Below are the top 10 female earners:

Naomi Osaka

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

Serena Williams

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

Ash Barty

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

Ash Barty claims the WTA Finals and the biggest cash prize in tennis history, a cheque for a staggering $6.4 million.

📝: https://t.co/kw1G1eEzTE #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/xN5tGvbSUO

— FOXSportsAUS (@FOXSportsAUS) November 3, 2019

Simona Halep

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

Bianca Andreescu

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

Garbiñe Muguruza

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

Hoy he compartido mi día con mi familia @ROLEX ✨

Today I visited my #Rolex family! ✨#Geneva 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/AMtpIHYCce

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) February 5, 2020

Elina Svitolina