Tennis sensation Coco Gauff tops the list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world for the second year in a row.
Cori “Coco” Gauff, 20, named after her father, Corey Gauff, earned $30.4 million in 2024. She is the third female to earn more than $30 million in a year, following her idol Serena Williams and fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka.
Osaka was the next highest-ranked American female athlete with just under $16 million earned in 2024, followed closely by Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, at No. 9.
Caitlin Clark, the rookie sensation for the WNBA, is listed at No. 10 with $11 million in earnings for the 2024 calendar year.
Gauff didn’t fare well in the Grand Slam singles, only reaching the semifinals at the Australian and French Opens. She did, however, win the women’s doubles at the French Open, as well as winning the singles championship at the end-of-season WTA Finals. Away from tennis, Gauff made history by becoming the youngest Team USA flag bearer at the Olympics and the first tennis player to carry the flag for the U.S.
Gauff earned $9.4 million in prize money. However, she earned more than twice as much with her endorsement deals. She signed a multiyear pact with L’Oreal to pitch its natural hair care brand Carol’s Daughter and added juice brand Naked, where she was named CSO — chief smoothie officer. The Naked deal includes an equity position as well.
In addition to Gauff, three other women’s tennis players topped the list.
Iga Świątek ($21.4 million), who has dominated Gauff in their head-to-head matchups, Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million) and Aryna Sabalenka ($17.7 million) were all in Sportico’s top five.
