Iga Swiatek overtakes Venus Williams in prestigious list after recent victories

Poland’s Iga Swiatek has achieved yet another milestone. The 24-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players in the world, along with the likes of Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka and America’s Coco Gauff.

Swiatek is having an impressive season, having won 61 of 76 matches and suffered just 15 defeats. Those victories helped her earn a significant amount of prize money, making her one of the top earners in the history of women’s tennis.

According to the list shared by Tennis.com, Swiatek is now the second player on the list of most prize money earned in the history of women’s tennis. The report stated that Swiatek has already won nearly $43 million in prize money, which is only slightly less than that of the former world number one Serena Williams, who won nearly $95 million during her illustrious career.

Serena is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis after winning as many as 23 Grand Slam titles in her career. She retired from the sport back in 2022 to focus on her family and other off-the-court activities.

Swiatek, on the other hand, has won six major titles in her career. Her first title was the French Open in 2020 when she defeated America’s Sofia Kenin in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Her next major title came at the same venue two years later when she defeated Gauff in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-3.

Swiatek’s third title was the US Open the same year, where she got the better of Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 7-6. Swiatek then went on to win two more French Open titles, in 2023 by beating the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova in the final (6-2, 5-7, 6-4) and in 2024 by beating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final (6-2, 6-1).

Swiatek’s most recent major title was Wimbledon earlier this year, where she defeated America’s Amanada Anisimova in the final with a score of 6-0, 6-0. She became the first women’s player in more than 100 years to win a final of Wimbledon without losing a single game. That is not the only title that Swiatek has won this year.

Just before the start of the US Open, Swiatek lifted the Cincinnati Open after beating Poalini in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-4. Recently, Swiatek lifted the Korea Open after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the final with a score of 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.

Swiatek has overtaken Serena’s sister Venus Williams in the list, who is now placed in the third position with $42.86 million earned in prize money. Two active players also featured in the list. Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one, sits fourth on that list with prize money of $42.4 million.

She recently lifted the US Open after beating Anisimova in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6. It was Sabalenka’s fourth Grand Slam title in her career. The other active player in that list is another former world number one and Sabalenka’s fellow countrywoman, Victoria Azarenka. The 36-year-old, who has won two Grand Slam titles in her career — Australian Open in 2012 and 2013—sits in sixth position in the list with a total career prize money earned worth $38.8 million.

1. Serena Williams - $94.81 million

3. Venus Williams - $42.86 million [-1]

4. Aryna Sabalenka - $42.48 million

5. Simona Halep - $40.23 million

6. Victoria Azarenka - $38.89 million

7. Maria Sharapova - $38.77 million

8. Petra Kvitova - $37.65 million

9. Caroline Wozniacki - $36.47 million

10. Angelique Kerber - $32.54 million