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Who are the The Highest Paid Female Athletes in 2023?

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Published Nov 29, 2023

So you're wondering who the highest paid female athletes are? Let's get in to it!

The topic of women’s pay in professional sports is not a new conversation, but it's gained quite a bit of traction over the last few decades. Billie Jean King brought the issue to national light in the early 1970s, and since then progress has been recorded to varying degrees across women’s sports. While there is still a lot of work to be done, it is clear that the activism, both in the past and present, has moved this issue to the forefront and change may be on the horizon.

Many of the highest paid female athletes are tennis players, largely due to King’s activism that led to the U.S Tennis Association offering equal prize money to male and female competitors since 1973, making it the first sporting event to do so. Tennis star Naomi Osaka – who is featured in our list of recent U.S. Open Champions – topped the list of highest paid female athletes this year.

Below is a list of the five highest paid female athletes in 2023:

5. Emma Raducanu

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Income: $18,000,000
Nationality: British
Years Active: 2018-Present
Sport: Tennis

When Emma Raducanu had her breakout season at 18 years old in 2023, brands deals and offers came rushing in for the young tennis star. Some of her biggest deals are with huge companies such as Porsche, Dior, and HSBC. Though she did not earn most of her income this year from tournament wins, the money that she earned from sponsorships and endorsements made her the fifth highest-earning female athlete in 2023.

4. Eileen Gu

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

2023 Income: $20,000,000
Nationality: China
Years Active: 2019-Present
Sport: Freestyle Skiing

Eileen Gu brought in a whopping $20 million in endorsement deals in 2023, largely due to her partnerships with mega-companies such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and IWC Schaffhausen.

3. Iga Świątek

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Income: $22,200,000
Nationality: Polish
Years Active: 2016-Present
Sport: Tennis

Iga Świątek won her fourth career Grand Slam in 2023, and between her winnings from tournaments and endorsement deals, she came in only behind Serena Willams and Naomi Osaka in 2023 earnings. Her biggest endorsement deals are with On and Visa, but she is quickly building her portfolio of sponsorship and endorsements.

2. Serena Williams

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Income: $41,300,000
Nationality: American
Years Active: 1995-2002
Sport: Tennis

Serena Williams retired from the sport of tennis in 2022, but that did not stop her from being the second highest paid female athlete in 2023. Williams, who has been sponsored by Nike for two decades, is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time. With a net worth earning $300 million dollars, Williams is one of the richest self-made women in the world. Her earnings in 2023 came from her long list of endorsement deals and investments in various tech and fashion companies. Williams also launched a multimedia company called Nine Two Six Productions this year.

1. Naomi Osaka

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Income: $52,000,000
Nationality: Japan
Years Active: 2013-Present
Sport: Tennis

Four time Grand Slam winner, former world No. 1, and international superstar Naomi Osaka has quite the resume for a player who turned pro just one decade ago. Osaka, who grew up in the United States but represents her home country of Japan, is a fearless player and equally courageous activist.

Despite not playing for most of the 2023 tennis season after announcing her pregnancy earlier in the year, Osaka was the highest-earning female athlete due to her sponsorships, entrepreneurship and investments in various corporations.