Who are the highest-earning female sports athletes in 2024 and do any Indians make the cut?

The world of women’s sport has grown leaps and bounds in the 21st century. After many years in the wilderness, the rallying cry for more investment and attention to the women’s game is slowly being heard with more headlines and eyeballs afforded with each passing day. Today, competitive women’s sport garners bigger stages and newer initiatives than ever before. 

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup serves as an example of the growing popularity of women’s sport. The final between England and Spain set a record for the most-viewed women’s sports event in 2023, with more than 38 million people tuning in to watch the final and more than 2 million people attending the tournament, making it the most-attended women’s sporting event in history. Tennis has always been a forerunner in building legendary women athletes and placing them on the same pedestal as men (reaching there slowly in financial terms). This trend plays a prominent part here as our list of the 10 highest-paid female athletes consists of nine tennis players. 

As a result, female sportspersons have also grown in popularity across sports. There is a growing shift in perception towards women’s sports and towards female athletes who are becoming role models and popular exponents in today’s growing sports business world. Some are already leading the way by getting paid the big bucks for their successes on the field and their marketability and commercial viability off it. Unfortunately, there are no Indian athletes in the list. Let’s take a look at 10 such female athletes who are paid the most in 2024. 

10.) Leylah Fernandez – $8.8 million 

At 21, Leylah Fernandez has already set herself as one to watch out for in the future. After reaching the final of the US Open in 2021, at the age of 19, Fernandez has endured some tough years owing to injury and form. The Canadian struggled to qualify beyond the 2nd round in the Australian Open and Wimbledon. But, she still showed flashes of brilliance, winning three WTA singles titles while reaching the final of the French Open in the Women’s Doubles category. 

Her returns on the field and personality helped Fernandez partner up with major brands like Lululemon, Morgan Stanley and Google Pixel phones, bringing her off-field earnings to more than $7 million, which forms a major part of her overall earnings. 

9.) Elena Rybakina – $9.5 million 

The 24-year-old has already established herself as one of the top players in the women’s tennis circuit with six of her eight career titles coming in the last two years. Rybakina put the icing on top of her young career when she lifted the Wimbledon title in 2022. She then followed it up with a final appearance in the 2023 Australian Open with quarterfinal appearances in the French Open (2021 & 2024) on either side of her Wimbledon title and the Australian Open final appearance. In 2023, Rybakina was honored with a stamp in her name being released by Kazakhstan’s government. 

Rybakina has also backed her Slam exploits with wins in the WTA Tour. This year, she has already won three WTA titles and reached two other finals in Qatar and Miami, making 2024 her most successful year to date. With $5.5 million in on-court earnings. Rybakina’s successes has elevated her popularity off the court with the young smasher signing deals with BankRBK, Nike, Red Bull and Yonex which fetches her more than $4 million a year. 

8.) Venus Williams – $12.2 million 

While her sister Serena will be considered among the pantheon of sporting greats, Venus has carved a successful career for herself and continues to compete in the professional tennis circuit even at 43! The Williams sisters’ combined success places them at the top of the women’s career earnings rankings (despite a gulf existing between the two). 

*Singles. The Williams sisters also won 14 Grand Slams in Doubles together. 

Despite her diminishing returns on the court, Venus remains active off the field in endorsements and her own ventures.  Venus recently added brands like Dove and Nestlé’s Purina PetCare to her portfolio along with unveiling a signature jewellery line with Reinstein Ross. She also runs her own ventures including V Starr Interiors and a fashion line called EleVen with Steve & Barry. She has also invested in sports with her first entry being a minority stake in NFL franchise Miami Dolphins along with Serena in 2009. 

Recently, Venus bought a stake in Los Angeles Golf Club which will participate in the TGL league, a private league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports which bring her annual earnings to over $12 million. 

7.) Jessica Pegula – $12.5 million 

It is a tough thing to live upto when your parents (Terry and Kim Pegula) are multibillionaires and are owners of the NFL and NHL franchises from your home base (Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Braves), but that’s the challenge that Jessica Pegula had in front of her. 

While she turned pro in 2009, Pegula endured a quiet early career before finding a second wind at the turn of the decade. She reached a career high ranking of #3 in 2022 and is currently ranked #5 in the WTA rankings. 

While the 30-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam (not going beyond the quarters in singles), Pegula has been on the rise since 2023 which was her most successful year to date. The American reached the quarterfinals of all the Grand Slams except the US Open. She then won the Montreal Open and reached the #1 ranking in the WTA Doubles category (partnering Coco Gauff, more on her later) before coming runners-up in the WTA Tour Finals. 

The American followed it up by winning the Berlin Open and reaching the quarterfinals in all the Tour tournaments she has featured in in 2024 showcasing an upturn in form and fortunes on the court. 

Her recent successes combined with her family’s reputation has helped Pegula increase her commercial profile. The 30-year-old works with brands such as Dyson headphones and Swiss luxury watchmaker De Bethune and also runs her own ventures, including a quick-service restaurant called Healthy Scratch and a skincare line called Ready24. 

6.) Aryna Sabalenka – $14.7 million 

The charismatic Belarusian is one of the most recognizable names in the tennis circuit with her powerful shots and funky character marking her as a unique proponent in women’s tennis. 

Sabalenka’s Grand Slam Haul

• Australian Open – 2023, 2024 (singles); 2021 (doubles)
• US Open – 2019 (doubles)

But at 25, Sabalenka has already won 14 career titles including four Grand Slams, made a runners-up appearance in the WTA Finals and reached the #1 ranking in both singles and doubles. 

Her successes on the court and her fun-loving persona off it has made Sabalenka a favourite among tennis fans and sponsors alike. The 25-year-old is sponsored by Nike and Wilson for her on-court efforts while she partnered up with Maestro Dobel Tequila (a prominent tequila and spirits brand) and Leaf Trading Cards. The 2023/2024 Australian Open champion is also an investor in Beekeeper’s Naturals, a wellness brand involving local bees and Olipop Soda. Her consistency on the tennis court is sure to make her a commercial favorite going ahead with more brands already considering partnering with the hard-hitting Belarusian. 

5.) Naomi Osaka – $15 million 

We move into the top half with Japanese-American Naomi Osaka, who returned to professional action in 2024 after an 18-month hiatus from the game post pregnancy. In her time away, Osaka has been active in building her business portfolio, signing various endorsement deals and expanding her business ventures. Her sporting ability combined with her Japanese-American heritage makes her highly sought-after and Osaka has been peerless in building a career off the tennis court. 

Osaka also signed sponsorship deals with Bobbie Baby Formula and Crate & Kids, two companies that are heavily involved in wellness products for infants and kids. She’s also involved in endorsements with her big stable of sponsors including Nike, BodyArmor Sports Drink, Beats, Louis Vuitton and promoting brands from her native Japan like Yonex, Citizen, Nissan, Nissin Foods, All Nippon Airlines and local broadcasting station Wowow. 

Osaka also runs her own media company Hana Kuma which raised over $5 million in funding. Osaka is also a co-owner in North Carolina Courage, who compete in and are three-time champions of the National Women’s Soccer League. She also started her own agency with her former agent and business partner Stuart Duguid before signing Nick Kyrgios to her agency. Osaka’s agency is currently involved in promoting young talents to come through the ranks on their roster. 

Once the highest-paid athlete in the world, Osaka will hope to return to winning ways and to the top of the earnings list soon having only recently returned to competitive action, and add to her seven career titles (including four Grand Slams) like she has with her endorsements and business portfolio.  

4.) Emma Raducanu – $15.2 million 

The prodigal Brit has endured a few rocky years after rocking the world in 2021, when she won the US Open, her only pro career title to date, at the age of 18. Raducanu defeated the aforementioned Leylah Fernandez, becoming the joint-youngest women’s player to win a Grand Slam and also becoming the first player to come through qualifiers to win a Grand Slam. 

As a result, Raducanu rode on a wave of popularity that followed. While the British player has since struggled for form and fitness, Raducanu’s off-field earnings ensure that she finds a place on this list. She currently endorses around nine major brands which pays her cumulative endorsement fees of $15 million.

• British Airways
• Porsche
• Tiffany
• Dior
• Evian
• Wilson
• Nike
• HSBC
• Vodafone

Still only 21, Raducanu’s return to form will see her get back to the commercial crescendo that she reached when she lifted her only career title in New York and add more numbers to her payments.

3.) Coco Gauff – $21.7 million 

The youngest name on this list, it is incredible to think that Coco Gauff is still only 20. But, like Emma Raducanu, Gauff is a prodigal talent, making her professional debut at just 14! Cut to today and she earns more than $21 million for her efforts on and off the tennis court. 

Gauff came close to equalling Raducanu’s record of becoming the youngest Grand Slam winner, but came runner-up in the French Open in 2022 before winning her first Grand Slam a year later in the US Open. The attention and commercial barrage followed and Gauff has smartly cashed in by signing partnerships with New Balance and Head for her on-court efforts. She has also signed deals with major brands like Italian food company Barilla, Ray-Ban, Meta, UPS, Bose headphones and Baker Tilly, an international financial advisory firm. 

A self-proclaimed Marvel fan (the superhero universe), Gauff also made her pop culture leanings clear as she appeared in a commercial for 2023 film The Marvels and was put on a limited-edition cover of an Invincible Iron Man comic book.

While Gauff is involved in numerous ventures off the court, she has not let that affect her focus on tennis, having already won 16 career titles (7 singles, 9 doubles) and establishing herself as one of the most recognized and sought-after names in tennis. Provided she stays on top of her form and fitness, sky’s the limit for young Coco. 

2.) Eileen Gu – $22.1 million 

The only non-tennis player on this list, Eileen Gu has made a career as a freestyle skater and at the age of 20, she has already amassed earnings of over $22 million. 

While figures vary in China and elsewhere, Gu makes nearly all of her $22.1 million earnings from endorsements meaning she tops this list in terms of endorsement earnings. 

Gu became prominent after winning Gold in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and her age and multinational background (Chinese, born and raised in the US) make her an attractive target for brands looking to build themselves across the social footprint of the two biggest economies on Earth. 

The skater/model endorses nearly 23 Chinese brands including Mengniu Dairy and coffee chain Luckin Coffee along with various other global brands such as Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret, Tiffany & Co and Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen among others. 

1.) Iga Świątek – $23.9 million  

At the top is Polish tennis sensation Iga Świątek who has established herself as the best women’s tennis player in the world currently by some distance. Just 23, Świątek has already won 22 career titles, including five Grand Slams and the 2023 WTA Finals Championship, and earned over $31 million in her career which already places her 9th in the all-time earnings list in women’s tennis.

Out of that, Świątek has earned $9.9 million from on-court earnings in 2024 after winning a hat-trick of French Open triumphs as well as four WTA tour titles. The Pole has also remained unchallenged at the top of the WTA rankings for a staggering 116 weeks, the ninth highest tally in women’s tennis. 

Expectedly, the four-time French Open champion has cashed in on her success and fame by signing endorsement partnerships with major brands like Visa, Infosys, Porsche and Polish sports drink brand Oshee. Świątek’s on-court apparel is sponsored by Swiss sportswear brand On, which counts tennis legend Roger Federer as an investor and creative partner.

Continuing to excel on the court, in the boardroom and in front of the camera, Świątek’s unabated dominance looks set to continue with the Pole virtually unchallenged on any surface. As a result, she is set to not only stay atop the earnings list for years to come but also establish herself as one of the best tennis players of all time. 

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