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For the second consecutive year, tennis star Coco Gauff has maintained her top position as the highest-earning female athlete with over $30,000,000 worth as Sha’Carri Richardson and other female track and field stars are unranked.
According to Sportico, the 20-year-old led with her earnings from prize monies and endorsements to become the third woman in sports history to crack $30m in annual income alongside Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.
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Gauff went up by over $7m from her $22.7 million in 2023, with Eileen Gu (Skiing) moving a step up from last year to second, having $22.1 million, while former world No1 tennis star Iga Swiatek sits third with $21.4 million, a step down from her second position last year of $21.9 million.
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Professional tennis players overwhelm the list as Zheng Qinwen made a massive entry to fourth at $20.6 million, and Basketball star Caitlin Clark cracked the Top 10 with $11 million in endorsement income.
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This sum includes prize money, salaries, and bonuses during 2024 for active athletes. The endorsement earnings estimates were compiled through conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements and also include royalties, memorabilia, appearance fees, media, and businesses tied to their celebrity. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.
Unfortunately, despite track and field athletes’ continual work all year round to improve their best and get to the elite level like their counterparts, the business side of the sport has been poor for decades, with athletics stars struggling to be in the top 30-50.
The Paris Olympic Games saw the emergence of a new sprint queen in Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who defeated Richardson for the 100m gold medal.
Since her Olympic triumph, she has been a great ambassador for her country, signing several lucrative endorsements home and abroad. While her earnings remain meager compared to other sportswomen, it brews hope that non-American female track stars are paying more attention to their marketing power.
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In addition, with the start of the Athlos track meet founded by Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, next season’s Grand Slam Track orchestrated by legendary sprinter Michael Johnson, and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in 2026 – all with improved earnings compared to what athletes earn in the past, perhaps it’ll encourage more future investment in the sport, which aligns with other sports female athletes earnings.
