Money continues to flow into women’s sports, with athletes in basketball, hockey, soccer, softball, and volleyball all benefiting. But tennis still leads the way, thanks to rising prize money and major endorsement deals that WTA stars consistently attract. In 2025, the trend remains the same as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and other top tennis players dominate the list of the highest-paid female athletes.

Sportico has released its latest list of the top-earning women’s athletes. Once again, tennis players dominated the rankings. Ten of the top 15 highest-paid female athletes in 2025 came from tennis. Coco Gauff led the field with an impressive total.

Gauff earned $31 million in 2025. Of that amount, $23 million came from endorsements. She added $8 million in prize money from her strong season. Earlier in the year, she launched Coco Gauff Enterprises with talent firm WME. This move marked her shift away from Roger Federer’s Team8 after seven years. WME does not own any part of her new business.

Her biggest endorsement deal is with New Balance. The company signed her when she was only 14. They renewed the contract in 2022, making it one of the richest in women’s tennis. She now works with more than a dozen partners. Her list includes Baker Tilly, Bose, Head, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, and Chase Bank. The variety of brands reflects her popularity and market value.

Aryna Sabalenka also had a record-setting season. She lost the Australian Open and French Open finals. But she won the US Open and two WTA 1000 tournaments. Her US Open title alone earned her $5 million, an increase from $3.6 million in 2024. 

Her total prize money for the year reached $15 million. This broke Serena Williams’ 2013 record of $12.4 million. Sabalenka has now earned $45.2 million in career prize money. She is second all-time but still far behind Williams’ $94.8 million.

Iga Świątek also delivered a strong year on the WTA Tour. She finished second in the year-end rankings behind Sabalenka for the second straight season. She is also close behind Sabalenka in total career earnings. 

Świątek collected $10.1 million in prize money and $13 million in endorsements this year. Her total reached $23.1 million, securing her place among the top earners.

Many other tennis stars made the list. Zheng Qinwen ranked fifth with $20.6 million. Madison Keys placed eighth with $13.4 million. Elena Rybakina followed in ninth with $12.6 million. Naomi Osaka ranked tenth with $12.5 million. Amanda Anisimova came in twelfth with $10.8 million. Jessica Pegula took thirteenth with $10.5 million. Venus Williams placed fourteenth with $10.2 million.

Because of these results, even Billie Jean King highlighted this achievement with the message, “10 of the Top 15 are tennis players. 👏”

Yet, tensions between tennis authorities and players remain. Issues like the massive pay gap continue to spark debate, as Coco Gauff has already spoken publicly about these concerns.

Coco Gauff criticises tennis for its significant pay gap

Coco Gauff recently earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She appeared there as a leading figure in both sport and fashion, and also stands out as the world’s highest-paid female athlete. Her influence now stretches far beyond her results on the court.

And in a newly released video from Forbes, she speaks openly about the pay gap that still exists between the ATP and WTA at combined events. 

“In Grand Slams, we’re obviously there when it comes to the prize money, but on the Tour it’s a very big gap. And I think the start is for sure targeting the ATP and WTA combined events, because for me there’s no reason we’re both playing two out of three sets, playing at the same venue, and sometimes there are female players like me, Aryna [Sabalenka], Iga [Swiatek], Jess [Pegula], who are selling out some of these stadiums more than some of the other guys and they’re getting paid way more.”

While Grand Slams offer equal prize money, most other tournaments do not. Even at events hosted together, men often receive higher payouts. This structure has frustrated players for years. Gauff has chosen to challenge it directly.

Even after she reached the China Open semi-finals, she spoke again about another issue. She called attention to the ongoing revenue-sharing debate between top players and Grand Slam organisers. She chose not to avoid the topic or soften her message.

“For the long run of our sport and kind of the whole ecosystem, I think that it’s really important.” Her comments point to long-term sustainability and equality.

As one of the WTA’s most influential voices, Gauff’s message is gaining attention. More players have begun to echo her concerns. 

With the 2026 season approaching, many wonder what will happen next. Fans and players alike will watch to see if more tennis stars rise into the sport’s top earnings lists.