Iga Swiatek the highest paid female athlete of the year despite previous report handing Coco Gauff top spot
WTAFriday, 22 December 2023 at 11:02
A new
Forbes report positions Iga Swiatek as the highest-earning female athlete in
2023, contrasting with the recently published Sportico list where Coco Gauff
claimed the top spot. Both rankings differed in the calculated earnings for
each tennis player in 2023.
In on-court
prize money alone, Coco Gauff earned $6,669,622, more than $3 million behind
Swiatek, who amassed $9,857,686. However, both Forbes and Sportico take into
account off-court income from sponsorships, promotional activities, etc.
Sportico's
calculations placed Gauff at the top of the list of female athletes with $22.7
million, with Swiatek in second place with $21.9 million. This marked a
departure from the dominance of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Naomi
Osaka over the past 15 years.
Forbes Ranking:
Forbes'
estimation increased Swiatek's earnings by two million dollars ($23.9 million),
securing her the top spot for the year in 2023. Skiing sensation Eileen Gu
($22.1 million) emerged as the second-highest earner, pushing Coco Gauff to
third place with $21.7 million.
Some of the
main earnings for the 4-times Grand Slam champion this year come from
sponsorships such as Visa, On Shoes and Apparel, Oshee, and Infosys. On the
other hand, Coco Gauff increased her sponsorships, especially after winning the
US Open title in September. She signed deals with brands like Baker Tilly,
Bose, UPS, and even appeared in an advertisement for the movie "The
Marvels," part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Read also
Women tennis players among the highest-paid
In tennis,
12 women were among the top 20 earners, with nine of them in the top 10. Following
the podium were Emma Raducanu (No. 4), Naomi Osaka (No. 5), Aryna Sabalenka
(No. 6), Jessica Pegula (No. 7), Elena Rybakina (No. 9), Leylah Fernandez (No.
10), Zheng Qinwen (No. 15), Ons Jabeur (No. 18), and Marketa Vondrousova (No.
20).
In total,
the top 20 highest-earning women earned around 226 million in 2023. This
represents a 13% decrease compared to the 258 million in 2022, primarily due to
the absence of Williams, who raised 41.3 million last year, and Osaka's income
dropping to 15 million dollars (from 51.1 million in 2022) due to her extended
break
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)
AceOfBase11-09-2026 - Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
- Iga needs to make a decision whether she wants to continue the sport of tennis or pursue whatever she has going on in her personal life. One can tell that tennis is no longer an interest of hers. She should retire while she is on top, not when she slides to the bottom of the rankings. She has too much talent to look how she does on the court these days. She looks more like a wild card than a champion.crissy09-09-2026
- Looks like tennis has become a part of the American Oligarchy. As usual, Pegula is given a cupcake draw. With all her money, they have to fixed the draws in her favor in order to raised the trophy.crissy09-09-2026
- Huge win for Ben! He needed this. Amazing that Alcaraz took over four months off and still was able to make the QF’s and take Ben to a fifth set tie break! Insane tennis. Tiafoe vs. Shelton should be a good one too. Americans might finally get their US Open Champion after 23 years!DaveyWavey09-09-2026
- No one else would get away with this but these AMERCANS! It’s the US Open!! In America!! But sure, go off American ;)DaveyWavey08-09-2026
- WOW !!! Her comebacks have been intense. She's Baaaaack!
mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
- Here we go again…. Different rules for Americans! Especially THESE Americans. Yuck!DaveyWavey07-09-2026
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