Sponsors are starting to cast a wider net in women’s sport, resulting in the world’s ten highest-paid women athletes earning a combined $167 million before taxes in 2021.
According to estimates released by Forbes, there has been a 23% increase since 2020 and a 16% jump from the prior record of $143.3 million set in 2013.
Leading the list, tennis ace Naomi Osaka hauled in $57.3 million, while Serena Williams comes in second place with $45.9 million.
For the first time in years, a gymnast (Simone Biles, No. 4 with $10.1 million) and a basketball player (Candace Parker, No. 10 with $5.7 million) rank among the highest-paid women.
And while tennis still accounts for five of the list’s ten spots, that is the sport’s lowest tally in more than a decade and a dramatic change from 2019, when it claimed all ten.
Parker – along with American soccer stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who came up just shy of making the top ten – is especially encouraging because they come from team sport, where salaries lag behind the prize money available in individual sports.
Top 10 Highest Paid Women Athletes in 2021:
1.Naomi Osaka – $57.3 million
2.Serena Williams – $45.9 million
3.Venus Williams – $11.3 million
4.Simone Biles – $10.1 million
5.Garbiñe Muguruza – $8.8 million
6.Jin Young Ko – $7.5 million
7.P.V Sindhu – $7.2 million
8.Ashleigh Barty – $6.9 million
9.Nelly Korda – $5.9 million
10.Candace Parker – $5.7 million
Photo 1 Caption: Tennis ace, Naomi Osaka, hauled in $57.3 million according to Forbes’ highest-paid women athletes. Photo: Naomi Osaka (Twitter)
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