From Gauff to Gu: The 10 highest paid female athletes in the world

Coco Gauff celebrates winning a point in the Miami Open final against Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff celebrates winning a point in the Miami Open final against Aryna SabalenkaCredit: ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Latin Sport Images

From Coco Gauff to Eillen Gu and Jessica Pegula. Flashscore provides you with the complete list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, which is dominated by tennis stars from the WTA Tour.

1) Coco Gauff

$33 million, tennis, On-Field: $8 million - Off-Field: $25 million

Gauff, who was the third-highest-paid player in tennis last year, won the French Open in 2025, but it's off the court that she is cashing in on her business empire. Mercedes-Benz and Chase Bank joined the 21-year-old American’s list of sponsors, and she signed new partnerships with New Balance and fashion brand Miu Miu.

2) Aryna Sabalenka

$30 million, tennis, On-Field: $15 million - Off-Field: $15 million

Ending the season as the WTA Tour’s top-ranked player for the second straight year, Sabalenka led the WTA Tour last year with four singles titles. Sabalenka, who is sponsored by brands such as Audemars Piguet and Master & Dynamic, is only the fourth female athlete ever to reach $30 million in collected earnings.

3) Iga Swiatek

$25.1 million, tennis, On-Field: $10.1 million - Off-Field: $15 million

On court, Swiatek enjoyed plenty of success last year, winning Wimbledon for the first time. Off the court, Świątek launched a new business company named "Jazda!" in March 2026, signaling her transition into "CEO mode" and a formal expansion into business ventures beyond the tennis court.

4) Eileen Gu

$23.1 million, freestyle skiing, On-Field: $0.1 million - Off-Field: $23 million

Gu, who became the most successful athlete in freestyle disciplines in Olympic history at just 22 years old in Milano-Cortina, doesn't bring in the dollars through her performances on the slopes. But off the slopes, Gu has a long list of lucrative endorsements, including Red Bull, Porsche, IWC Schaffhausen, and her latest addition, TCL electronics.

5) Qinwen Zheng

$22.6 million, tennis, On-Field: $1.6 million - Off-Field: $21 million

After Zheng won Olympic gold at the Paris Olympics and reached her first major final at the Australian Open in 2024, expectations began to rise for a player who has turned into a marketing icon in her native China, where she has agreed partnerships with a dozen partners, including Alipay, Audi, and Dior.

6) Madison Keys

 $13.4 million, tennis, On-Field: $4.4 million - Off-Field: $9 million

Madison Keys, who works with brands like Brilliant Earth, IBM, and MassMutual, had dropped to No. 17 in the WTA rankings, but there is hope that she can return to the absolute top after she won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last year. 

7) Nelly Korda

$13 million, golf, On-Field: $3 million - Off-Field: $10 million

Korda had a superb 2025 season on the LPGA Tour, where it seemed like she couldn’t lose as she claimed seven titles in 16 starts—including five straight from January to April 2024. Off the course, she was also successful, adding accounting giant EY to a sponsor stable that also includes Cisco, Delta Air Lines, and Goldman Sachs.

8) Naomi Osaka

$12.5 million, tennis, On-Field: $2.5 million • Off-Field: $10 million

A four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka showed flashes of her old form in 2025, as she managed to climb back into the top 20 for the first time since January 2022. Off the court, Osaka has built a diverse business empire focusing on media, skincare, and sports management, designed to champion inclusivity and cultural narratives.

9) Elena Rybakina

$12.5 million, tennis, On-Field: $8.5 million - Off-Field: $4 million

Rybakina’s title at Wimbledon in 2022 is still the biggest of her career, but the $2.4 million that accompagnied her win was only less than half of the $5.2 million she received for going undefeated at the WTA Finals last year. Rybakina has set up her own management company for increased transparency, tax efficiency, and to tailor her business dealings directly to her future needs.

10) Jessica Pegula

$12.3 million, tennis, On-Field: $5.3 million - Off-Field: $7 million

Pegula, who is the daughter of billionaire Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula, who own the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres, qualified for the WTA Finals for the fourth straight year. Off the court, she unveiled partnerships with Hyatt and Maev dog food and launched a podcast called The Player’s Box alongside three fellow tennis stars.

(The list is based on the information distributed by Forbes.)

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