Equal pay in sport continues to be a pending issue, with much lower salaries for women compared to men. Women's professional sport remains underpaid in many areas, but there are a few exceptions, such as tennis, where high endorsements outweigh the prize money for wins on the court. Seven of the ten best paid in this 2022 are tennis players. On the other hand, neither soccer players nor basketball players nor the main swimming stars appear in the top positions. This is the ranking of the 10 athletes who have received the most money this year according to Forbes:
Neither her mental health problems nor injuries have prevented Naomi Osaka, 24, from once again being the highest-paid athlete of the year with a total amount of 51.1 million dollars, of which 50 have been for advertising contracts and their business. The Japanese has played 11 tournaments this year, without any gimp to add to her great list of winners, in which two Australian Open and two US Open stand out. Her best result was in Miami, where she lost the final to Iga Swiatek. Off the slopes, she co-founded a skincare line, a production company and a talent agency, as well as investing in a pickleball team.
At 41, the legend Serena Williams hung up the racket last September after falling at the US Open. The already American tennis player, with 23 Grand Slams, only surpassed by the 24 of Margaret Court, entered a total of 41 million dollars this year between her business and sponsorships, in addition to 300,000 for her sporting activity. The youngest of the Williams sisters has been diversifying her earnings for years and her business extends to more than 70 companies. This year she co-founded a company dedicated to creating pain relief products for athletes.
Eileen Gu's name made headlines last February when she won two gold and one silver medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The 19-year-old skier, born in San Francisco but competing internationally for her mother's homeland of China, was paid only $100,000 for her successes on the snow, but she struck gold thanks to the many prestigious sponsors who came knocking on her door. . Red Bull, Therabody and Louis Vuitton, among other brands, opted for the image and name of the Olympic champion, who is also a model.
The young British tennis player, just 20 years old, surprised the world in 2021 by winning the US Open against all odds. Emma Raducanu's beautiful story brought her to the forefront of sports and also to the advertising scene. British Airways, Dior, Evian, HSBC, Porsche, Tiffany, Vodafone and Nike continue to bet on the player born in Canada, to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother. Her success in Flushing Meadows has not had continuity in this 2022, without titles to add to her record, but it has not been an impediment for her bank account to add 18 million dollars (700,000 for her victories in track).
The 21-year-old Polish tennis player is the first on the list who has earned more money this year for her titles and triumphs on a tennis court than for advertising. And is not for less. Iga Świątek, number 1 in the WTA ranking, won 8 tournaments in 2022, including Roland Garros and the US Open. Her earnings amount to $9.9 million from her wins and $5 million from marketing, for a total of $14.9 million.
She is 42 years old and has not been among the main rackets on the women's tennis circuit for a long time, but Venus Williams, winner of seven Grand Slams and current number 1007 in the world, still has a lot of pull off the courts. Despite not winning any games in 2022, she pocketed $100,000 for her participation in four tournaments, while the largest Williams earned 12 million from sponsorships and conferences.
The American, 18 years old but who has been on the professional circuit since she was 14, made a sporting leap in 2022, reaching her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, but since she broke into the 'major' leagues, her image has became a gold mine for brands. Coco Gauff, current number 7 in the world, has earned 3.1 million for her tennis and has pocketed 8 million in advertising.
Winner of five golds at the Rio Games and a silver and a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, where she was afflicted with mental problems, in this 2022 the laureate gymnast has taken a breather to order her ideas and face with more energy the pressure of being the benchmark in their discipline. Despite this, Simone Biles, 25, has earned $10 million in advertising this year, a portion of which comes from her appearance in a Super Bowl ad for software company BMC and commercials for other brands like Subway. and Powerade. She also launched her clothing line with Athleta.
The American, daughter of billionaires Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, maintained her constant and upward trend in her sports career in 2022, winning her second title in Guadalajara and finishing in third place. of the WTA ranking, his best classification. Off the slopes, she has her own skincare line called Ready 24 and major endorsers including Adidas, Yonex, and Ready Nutrition. Jessica Pegula, 28, earned $3.6 million from her racket performance and another $4 million from advertising and her business.
The 26-year-old Australian golfer with South Korean roots won the Cognizant Founders Cup and the US Open on the LPGA Tour in 2022, in addition to pocketing another million for winning the Aon Risk Reward Challenge that rewards the player with the best point average in the field during the year. In all, Minjee Lee earned $4.8 million on the green and another $2.5 million from her sponsors, including financial firms Aon and Hana Bank.
