Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2023: Coco Scores Top Slot at $23M,see how Coco guaff networth has increased
For two decades, the title of highest-paid female athlete has belonged to one of a trio of tennis stars in Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. Yet, Williams retired last year, and Sharapova hung up her racket in 2020, while Osaka took the year off from tennis with the birth of her daughter Shai and paused many of her lucrative endorsement deals.
It set the stage for a new No. 1, with three athletes tightly bunched. Coco Gauff nudged out Iga Świątek and Eileen Gu with an estimated $22.7 million from prize money and endorsements in 2023. The 19-year-old captured her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, triggering lucrative bonuses from partners New Balance and Head.Tennis players continue to dominate the top of the pay charts, holding nine of the 15 slots among the highest-paid female athletes, followed by soccer and skiing with two each, and single athletes from golf (Nelly Korda) and gymnastics (Simone Biles). The top six all represent different countries, and athletes from nine nations made the cut.
The top 15 earned a combined $174 million, down 19% from the prior year with the retirement of Williams ($35 million in 2022) and Osaka’s earnings off 72% to $15 million. The sum includes prize money, salaries and bonuses during 2023 for active athletes. The endorsement earnings estimates were compiled through conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements and also includes royalties, memorabilia, appearance fees, media and businesses tied to their celebrity. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.
Gauff, who turned 19 in March, has been on the radar of corporate sponsors for half a decade. By her 15th birthday, she already had multiyear agreements with racket maker Head, Italian pasta giant Barilla and New Balance. Those partners are still in place, and she added new sponsors this year in Bose, UPS and accounting firm Baker Tilly. Rolex is another partner, and after her Open win, she did campaigns for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and The Marvels movie.
