In this article, we will look at 15 highest-paid female athletes in the world. We have also covered interesting insights about female athletes and the companies who are actively supporting and investing in them. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to 5 Highest-Paid Female Athletes in the World.
Long gone are the days when women’s sports were confined to the shadows, overshadowed by their male counterparts. Today, female athletes are commanding attention, breaking records, and shattering glass ceilings, while their influence extends far beyond the field or court. Apart from women making contribution in athletics today, being an athlete is also one of the most profitable professions in the world.
The Fight for Equal Pay
For years, the U.S. women’s national soccer team fought for equal pay and treatment. This led to a truly historic moment when representatives for both the men’s and women’s teams signed their respective collective bargaining agreements with U.S. Soccer. The struggle for equal pay was characterized by a federal gender discrimination lawsuit filed by the women against U.S. Soccer in 2019 that drew international attention and support with fans chanting “Equal Pay!” during the Women’s World Cup final.
The women’s team had been successful on the international stage, winning back-to-back World Cup titles, but faced huge disparities in FIFA prize money compared to the men’s team. While the women received a $110,000 bonus for their 2019 World Cup victory, the men would have earned $407,000 had they won in 2018.
After long and sometimes acrimonious negotiations, the new agreement has secured identical pay structures for appearances and tournament victories, revenue sharing, and equitable distribution of World Cup prize money. The deal involved pooling FIFA’s payments for the men’s World Cup and the upcoming Women’s World Cup, as well as future tournaments until 2028.
How Much Money Do Female Athletes Make?
According to Forbes, in 2022, the 25 highest-paid female athletes worldwide collectively earned approximately $285 million before deductions for taxes and agents’ fees. Among them, the top ten athletes contributed a large portion, amassing a total of $194 million. This figure represents a notable increase of 17% compared to the previous year’s top ten, which had set a record of $167 million in 2021.
On the other hand, as of 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete, with an estimated $136 million in earnings over the past 12 months. However, Lionel Messi was the highest paid athlete in 2021-22 with a total earning of $130 million, according to Genuine Impact Newsletter. The highest-paid athlete of all time is Michael Jordan.
Companies That Actively Support and Invest in Women’s Sports
Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) is a global sportswear giant that has been a frontrunner in endorsing and empowering women athletes. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) outfitted national teams of 13 countries during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, with high-performance kits made from sustainable materials like recycled polyester and Nike Grind.
Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE)’s “What The Football” campaign featured 11 female footballers from around the globe which also underscores Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE)’s dedication to supporting female athletes. Moreover, Fanatics Commerce reported an 80% increase in sales of women’s soccer merchandise leading up to this World Cup compared to 2019, which can be attributed to the surging interest in women’s sports and the impact of Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE)’s efforts.
Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) has also been a longstanding supporter of female athletes and has sponsored iconic athletes like Alex Morga. Since the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, they have actively contributed to the growth of women’s football. With over 4 billion fans globally, football remains the most popular sport, and Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) has used its reach to empower women in sports.
From Alice Coachman, the first female athlete sponsored after the 1948 Olympics, to partnerships with Simone Biles, Missy Franklin, and Michelle Kwan, the brand has paved the way for women in sports. Through initiatives like #MessageAStar, Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) has continued to inspire and support female athletes and provide opportunities for fans to engage and share their support.
On the other hand, PUMA, one of the most valuable sports companies in the world, is playing an important role in helping female athletes through its partnership with Women’s Agenda for the 2023 PUMA Accelerator program. The program aims to elevate the careers of 50 to 80 female athletes across Oceania. The Women’s Agenda and PUMA collaboration provides free access to weekly virtual sessions over two months and features workshops with renowned trainers like tennis great Jelena Dokic, sporting physician Dr. Rachel Harris, and Nedd Brockmann who is an accomplished runner.
Moreover, the brand has signed numerous top female distance athletes, including Molly Seidel, Gesa Krause, Aisha Praught-Leer, Fiona O’Keefe, and Taylor Werner. Puma also signed American track-and-field athlete Abby Steiner and five-times Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah who is the fastest woman alive. Now, with the signing of Julien Alfred, Puma continues to strengthen and expand its support to women in sports.
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Our Methodology
To list the highest-paid female athletes in the world, we have included female athletes with the highest earnings (millions). We sourced our data from Forbes’ List of 25 Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2022. The list is presented in ascending order of high earnings.
15. Ons Jabeur
Earnings: $6.5m
Ons Jabeur is a Tunisian tennis player, ranked world No. 2 by WTA in June 2022. She’s Tunisia’s top player and holds the highest WTA and ATP ranking ever for an African and Arab. With four WTA singles titles, eleven ITF singles, and one doubles title, she has made history as the first Arab woman in a major single final, finishing as Wimbledon 2022 and 2023 runner-up and US Open 2022 runner-up.
14. Lydia Ko
Earnings: $6.9m
Lydia Ko is a professional golfer from New Zealand. She achieved the No. 1 ranking in Women’s World Golf Rankings at age of 17 years, and became the youngest player in professional golf history to do so. Ko has various achievements and records, including being the youngest at the age of 15 to win an LPGA Tour event. She has received numerous accolades and was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In November 2022, Ko also won the CME Group Tour Championship.
13. Leylah Fernandez
Earnings: $7m
Leylah Annie Fernandez is a Canadian professional tennis player. She reached world No. 13 in singles and No. 21 in doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Fernandez claimed her first WTA Tour title at the 2021 Monterrey Open. At 19 years old, she was the runner-up in the 2021 US Open, defeating three top-5 players before losing to Emma Raducanu in the final.
In 2022, Leylah Fernandez, became the new ambassador for Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. She stared in a national ad campaign and highlighted the Pixel’s Live Translate feature.
12. P.V. Sindhu
Earnings: $7.1m
PV Sindhu is an Indian professional badminton player. She is considered one of India’s most successful sportspersons, and has won medals at various tournaments such as the Olympics and on the BWF circuit, including a gold at the 2019 World Championships.
In 2019, PV Sindhu signed a two-year deal with Visa Inc (NYSE:V) to serve as one of its brand ambassadors. As part of the agreement, she actively promoted the Visa brand and also participated in Team Visa which was a global athlete support program for the Tokyo 2020 Games. She is one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
11. Candace Parker
Earnings: $7.2m
Candace Nicole Parker, also known as “Ace,” is a prominent American professional basketball player currently playing for the Las Vegas Aces in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is widely recognized as one of the greatest WNBA players in history and was chosen as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Candace Parker has a long-standing partnership with Adidas AG (OTC:ADDYY), spanning 15 years. Her latest collaboration, the “Candace Parker Collection Part II,” reflects her identity as a player, mother, and teammate.
10. Minjee Lee
Earnings: $7.3m
Minjee Lee is an Australian professional golfer from Perth who attained the top amateur ranking in February 2014 and turned a professional in September that year. She secured her first major championship, the Amundi Evian Championship, on July 25, 2021.
In 2022, she won a $1 million bonus by winning the Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) Risk Reward Challenge which was a season-long competition that rewards the player with the best average score. Aon Plc (NYSE:AON) is also one of her sponsors.
9. Jessica Pegula
Earnings: $7.6m
Jessica Pegula, an American professional tennis player, reached career-high WTA rankings of world No. 3 in singles on October 24, 2022, and world No. 2 in doubles on May 22, 2023. Adidas AG (OTC:ADDYY) is one of her sponsors.
8. Simone Biles
Earnings: $10m
Simone Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast who has achieved seven Olympic medals, equaling Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. With an impressive record of earning 25 World Championship medals, she is the most celebrated gymnast in the history of the Gymnastics World Championships.
7. Coco Gauff
Earnings: $11m
Coco Gauff is an American tennis player who reached world No. 4 in singles and world No. 1 in doubles in 2022. She won her first WTA Tour singles title at 15 years, becoming the youngest title-holder since 2004. She has three WTA Tour singles titles and eight doubles titles. She is one of the highest-paid sportswomen in the world.
6. Venus Williams
Earnings: $12.1m
Venus Williams is an esteemed American professional tennis player. Having achieved the top spot in both singles and doubles rankings, Williams has an impressive record with seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open.
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Disclosure: none. 15 Highest-Paid Female Athletes in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.