Spearheaded by Naomi Osaka leading tennis stars have dominated the Forbes’ highest earning female athletes’ chart for 2020.
US women’s football team icon Alex Morgan is the only exception the Top 10 highest earning female athletes list for the year. Naomi Osaka has pipped veteran Serena William to the second position with respective earnings of $ 37.4 million and $ 36 million.
Naomi has made $ 34 million from endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, Nissin, Procter & Gamble and All Nippon while $3.4m (£2.6m) came from prize money. She remains only second to Roger Federer endorsement revenue of tennis players.
Serena has made $32 million from endorsements alone with French Open champion and current world No 1 Ashleigh Barty a new entrant as she is in third place having earned $13.1m last year.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep ($10.9m) and US Open winner Bianca Andreescu ($8.9m) complete the top five and are followed by two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza, world No 5 Elina Svitolina, Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and three-time major champion Angelique Kerber.
Top 10 Forbes Highest-Paid Female Athletes:
- Naomi Osaka $37.4m ($3.4m prize money, $34m endorsements)
- Serena Williams $36m ($4m prize money, $32m endorsements)
- Ashleigh Barty $13.1m ($10.1m prize money, $3m endorsements)
- Simona Halep $10.9m ($6.9m prize money, $4m endorsements)
- Bianca Andreescu $8.9m ($4.9m prize money, $4m endorsements)
- Garbine Muguruza $6.6m ($2.1m prize money, $4.5m endorsements)
- Elina Svitolina $6.4m ($5.4 prize money, $1m endorsements)
- Sofia Kenin $5.8m ($4.8m prize money, $1m endorsements)
- Angelique Kerber $5.3m ($1.3m prize money, $4 million endorsements)
- Alex Morgan $4.6m ($400,000 salary/bonus, $4.2m endorsements)