Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Forbes lists Naomi Osaka as the highest-paid female athlete in 2022 for the third consecutive year, earning $51.1 million.
Serena Williams made $41.3 million after her. Eileen Gu, who became famous during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, earned $20.1 million, including $20 million in endorsements.
In total, the 25 highest-paid female athletes in the world made roughly $285 million this year before taxes and agents’ fees. The top 10 of those athletes made up for $194 million of that total, a 17 percent increase from 2021.
Eight of the 10 made at least $10 million in 2022 for the first time since Forbes introduced the rankings in 2008. That number also doubled from a year ago.
“I think everybody’s seeing a tremendous amount of momentum with women’s sports and women’s sports sponsorships,” Cameron Wagner, Chief Client Officer of Elevate Sports Ventures, told Forbes. “We’ve made a ton of progress. We have a ton of progress left to be made, but brands are starting to see the value in women’s sports here and today as a driver of their business.”
The year brought increases across women’s sports, including for England’s players following their Euros win. The Athletic recently detailed how their endorsement deals have skyrocketed in the months following the title.
Women’s soccer sponsorships have also increased. FIFA recently released a report detailing how 77 percent of women’s soccer leagues had a title sponsor in 2022, an increase from 66 percent in 2021.
While tennis players still make up the majority of the top 10, golfers have also increased their earnings after the LPGA introduced record tournament purses. That should only increase in the coming year as the tour stands to break records once again with its offerings.
The top 10
Naomi Osaka, Tennis – $51.1 mil
Serena Williams, Tennis – $41.3 mil
Eileen Gu, Freestyle Skiing – $20.1 mil
Emma Raducanu, Tennis – $18.7 mil
Iga Swiatek, Tennis – $14.9 mil
Venus Williams, Tennis – $12.1 mil
Coco Gauff, Tennis – $11.1 mil
Simone Biles, Gymnastics – $10 mil
Jessica Pegula, Tennis – $7.6 mil
Minjee Lee, Golf – $7.3 mil