Women’s sports consolidate their economic growth and expand their ability to generate income. According to Forbes, the 20 highest-paid athletes in the world totaled US$293 million before taxes in the last year, a figure equivalent to 249.6 million euros, which represents a growth of 13% year-on-year.
This data confirms a sustained trend of expansion in the women’s sports business, driven by larger prizes, more sponsors and greater exposure in key markets.
Tennis once again leads the world ranking. Coco Gauff tops the list for the second consecutive year with US$33 million, of which only US$8 million correspond to sports awards and US$25 million to brand sponsorships international brands such as New Balance, Bose, Mercedes-Benz and Chase, according to Forbes.
Behind comes Aryna Sabalenka with US$30 million, half from prizes and half from commercial agreements, followed by Iga Swiatek with US$25.1 million. In total, 10 of the 20 athletes on the list belong to tennis, which concentrates global visibility, a constant calendar and a consolidated commercial structure.
The report also highlights that 72% of the income of the 20 highest-paid athletes comes from activities outside of competition, which explains the weight of sponsorship within the economic model of women’s sports. The combination of international reach, commercial return and presence in strategic markets maintains tennis as a financial reference in the sector.
The WTA manages to close the largest sponsorship in the history of women’s sports. Image: WTA Page
Tennis leads revenue, but golf and women’s basketball gain ground
The ranking also shows the economic progress of other sports. In women’s golf, the increase in prize money in the LPGA allows for greater balance between sporting and commercial income. Nelly Korda reaches US$13 million and Jeeno Thitikul reaches US$10.3 million, consolidating golf as one of the disciplines that has increased its economic incentives the mostalthough the gap against the PGA Tour and LIV Golf remains wide.
In women’s basketball, the phenomenon is different. Stars like Caitlin Clark ($12.1 million), Sabrina Ionescu ($10.5 million) and Angel Reese ($9.4 million) rely primarily on endorsements and brand presence, while WNBA salaries remain low pending the new collective bargaining agreement.
Business diversification and global comparison
The ranking also shows a clear diversification. Skier Eileen Gu is in fourth place with $23.1 million, almost all of it generated outside of competition. Athletics enters the list for the first time with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (US$8.2 million) and rugby appears with Ilona Maher (US$8.1 million) driven by its media impact.
Aryna Sabalenka is the second highest earning athlete. Image: Official Facebook account Aryna Sabalenka
Recommended: The WTA manages to close the largest sponsorship in the history of women’s tennis
It is striking that the dominance of women’s tennis contrasts with the structure of men’s sports, where economic leadership is concentrated in soccer, basketball and golf. In women’s sports, the economic engine today is in the individual disciplines with global reach and the ability to attract sustained investment.
