Coco Gauff is the highest-paid female athlete in the world – now earning more than Novak Djokovic – according to the latest Forbes Tennis Rich List. And there are now four women in the top seven over the last 12 months before the US Open starts this weekend.
Carlos Alcaraz retains his title as the world’s best-paid tennis player with an estimated income of $48.3m (£35.7m) over the past 12 months before taxes and agent fees. But his biggest on-court rival Jannik Sinner has closed the gap after the Wimbledon champion’s earnings went up by $26.6m to $47.3m. The Italian won more money on court ($20.3m) than the Spaniard ($13.3m) this year.
French Open champion Gauff is ranked No.3 – and the top woman aged only 21 – with $37m, including $25m from off-court earnings.
The American superstar enjoys lucrative sponsorship deals with Bose and New Balance and has invested in the women’s professional three-on-three basketball league Unrivaled.
And although 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic has banked $188,934,053 in career on-court earnings, this year the Serbian superstar won only $4.6m and falls to fourth place behind Gauff.
Aryna Sabalenka, Qinwen Zheng and Iga Swiatek are also in the top seven with the top ten male and female players combined banking a total of $285m between them.
That sum is down from the $343m set in 2020 when Roger Federer earned $106.3m, Rafa Nadal banked $40m and Serena Williams took home $36m. Forbes reports that the Swiss superstar has become only the seventh athlete ever to become a billionaire thanks to the big increase in the value of his minority stake in Swiss footwear and apparel brand On.
The others are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Floyd Mayweather.
Emma Raducanu was tied sixth for female athletes on the Forbes list last year with earnings of $12.9m – the same as Naomi Osaka. That included $12m in endorsements for the British No.1 through sponsorship deals with major brands such as Nike, Christian Dior, Tiffany & Co and Porsche. World No.35 Raducanu has earned $1.1m on court so far this year.