Caitlin Clark’s popularity has made her one of the biggest names in women’s basketball, but a viral post about her earnings has sparked a debate that goes beyond the WNBA, with Coco Gauff becoming an unexpected part of the argument.
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On October 25, an account called Fever Updates alleged that Clark had become the highest-paid female athlete in 2026, citing $12.4 million from endorsements and sponsorships and a $528,846 salary with the Indiana Fever. The post attracted attention, but its headline claim raised questions about how her earnings compared with those of other female athletes.
Tennis fans soon entered the discussion. Some challenged the original claim by pointing to the money tennis players earn from prize money and sponsorships. Others questioned why Gauff was being brought into a basketball discussion at all.
The available earnings figures help explain the backlash. According to Forbes’ published 2025 ranking of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, Gauff earned an estimated $33 million, compared with Clark’s $12.1 million. Gauff’s total included approximately $8 million from tennis and $25 million from off-court income.
The 2026 figures require a little more care. Forbes’ August 2026 profile for Gauff listed estimated earnings of $35.5 million on its ranking of the world’s highest-paid tennis players. That figure offers a more recent point of comparison, but it belongs to a tennis-specific ranking, not a completed 2026 ranking of all female athletes.
Clark’s $528,846 salary with Indiana is also a real figure for the 2026 season. It does not, however, represent her full earnings from endorsements and other commercial agreements. Her salary and off-court income need to be considered separately when comparing athletes’ earnings.
Tennis Fans Call Out Caitlin Clark Claim as Coco Gauff Gets Dragged Into Debate
The argument took a sharper turn on X as fans challenged the comparison between professional tennis and women’s basketball. Paul Anthony pushed back against those calling the claim a lie, arguing that professional tennis players earn substantially more than professional basketball players. He urged people to compare the annual earnings of female tennis and basketball players before drawing conclusions.
Another account, AMERICAN REQUIEM Stan, responded with a sarcastic question: “Coco Gauff retired???” The comment appeared to question why Gauff had become part of a debate about Clark’s earnings.
Bellatrix Lestrange was more direct, writing, “Not when tennis exists.”
The account slice and dice also challenged the discussion, posting: “We’re out here just spreading misinformation… well NOT on my watch.” The post included a graphic about Gauff that listed her on-court earnings at $7.5 million and off-court earnings at $28 million. Those figures differ from Forbes’ published 2025 estimates of $8 million on court and $25 million off court, so the graphic should not be treated as a definitive breakdown of her 2026 earnings.
Connor McDavid’s Missing Laptop joined the debate with another comparison, writing, “Tennis players earn more, always have, likely always will. Coco Gauff has more than double her earnings with 33 million.”
The $33 million figure does match Forbes’ estimate for Gauff’s 2025 earnings. However, comparing that total with Clark’s earnings requires using the same reporting period and the same definition of income. Forbes’ $33 million figure and its $12.1 million estimate for Clark both come from the 2025 female-athlete earnings ranking.
The wider argument also highlights the difference between salaries and total earnings. Clark’s WNBA salary for 2026 was $528,846, but her endorsement income is a separate category. Forbes’ methodology for its 2026 highest-paid-athlete ranking includes salaries and prize money in on-field earnings, with sponsorships and other commercial income counted separately.