HIGHEST-PAID FEMALE ATHLETES 2021 - OSAKA & SERENA ACE THE COMPETITION RICHEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYERS

Life on the court has been a grind for Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams over the last six months. Injuries, shocking losses and skipped tournaments have limited the pair to only nine on-court WTA match wins combined.

Since February, when Osaka captured the Australian Open after defeating Williams in the semifinal. And yet, their marketing might remains at historic levels. Osaka ($55.2 million) and Williams ($35.5 million) headline the world’s highest-paid female athletes.

With more than 90% of their totals earned off the court from endorsement partners. The drop-off after the tennis stars is massive, as third-ranked Simone Biles earned just $6 million, according to Sportico’s estimates.

Tennis has always been the surest fire way for female athletes to make bank. The prize money is comparable to the men, and endemic sponsors like Nike and Adidas splash millions on the biggest stars to help goose their apparel sales. But tennis earnings are down across the sport outside of Osaka and Williams.

COVID-19 dented revenue and prize money at many events, while Wimbledon, with its expected $55 million purse, was canceled altogether in 2020. The fewer events also triggered apparel sponsors to slash payments anywhere from 20-40% for most players.

The result: Only 30% of the current 10 highest-paid female athletes make their living with a racket, down from 90% last year and 100% in 2019.

Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2021!

1. Naomi Osaka: $55.2 million!

Prize money: $5.2 million; Endorsements: $50 million

Speaking out on social issues used to be a death knell for athlete endorsements, but Osaka’s activism over the past year has elevated her brand.

She has two dozen endorsement partners, led by Nike, which pays her roughly $10 million a year.

2. Serena Williams: $35.5 million!

Prize money: $1.5 million; Endorsements: $34 million

With Subway restaurants becoming her latest endorsement partner, Williams remains a marketing juggernaut even as she approaches her 40th birthday next month, despite her last Grand Slam title taking place four-and-a-half years ago.

Her venture fund, Serena Ventures, has made more than 50 investments.

3. Simone Biles: $6 million!

Her 19 World Championship gold medals are more than twice as many as any other female gymnast ever and made her a marketing star with 11 current endorsement partners, including Athleta, Visa, United Airlines, Uber Eats and Mondelez’s Oreo brand.

She is staging her own post-Olympic Gold Over America Tour, covering 35 cities during the fall.

Видео HIGHEST-PAID FEMALE ATHLETES 2021 - OSAKA & SERENA ACE THE COMPETITION RICHEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYERS канала WTA RAPTOR