Ranked: The top 15 highest-paid female athletes of 2024

Interest in women's sports has exploded in 2024, with TV ratings, attendance, revenue, and sponsorship all growing significantly. The top 15 have earned $221 million in 2024, an increase of 27% from last year. All figures are according to Sportico.

It was a bounce-back year for Lydia Ko, who showed flashbacks of herself that reached world number one when she was 17. She won four tournaments, including an Olympic gold and the AIG Women's Open.

Yonex, Red Bull, and Bank RBK are among the most prominent endorsers of 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The Kazakhstani player won three WTA events in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, per the WTA website.

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Jessica Pegula reached her first Grand Slam final in 2024, losing in the US Open finale to world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Adidas is her central endorsement, and she has her skincare line called Ready 24.

In November 2024, Jeeno Thitikul won the CME Group Tour Championship and earned $4 million in prize money. She also won a $1 million bonus through the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. She has set a new record for single-season earnings on the LPGA Tour.

It was a breakout year for Italy's Jasmine Paolini. In 2024, she made the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, after failing to make it past the second round of a Grand Slam in her first 12 years as a pro. She also won Olympic gold in the doubles and earned a range of new sponsors.

Caitlin Clark has transformed women's basketball and the WNBA as a whole. In her first year, she was the WNBA Rookie of the Year and beat the single-season assists record. Though her salary is $100k, Clark has made millions from her endorsements with Nike, Gatorade, and many more.

Simone Biles is the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time, and added three more gold medals at the Paris Games in the summer. Biles has lucrative deals with Powerade, Spieth America, Visa, and many more. She will also earn money from her new Netflix show – 'Simone Biles Rising.'

Nelly Korda stepped up on the LPGA Tour this year, winning the Chevron Championship and finishing second at the Women's Open. She was named the LPGA Tour Player of the Year and won the 2024 Solheim Cup. According to Sportico, she has a multi-million-dollar deal with T-Mobile.

Emma Raducanu has struggled with injuries and form since her breakout year in 2021, in which she won the US Open. However, her dual citizenship with the UK and Canada and her ability to speak Mandarin fluently have helped her retain sponsors. They include HSBC, Tiffany, British Airways, Dior, Vodafone, Porsche, and Evian.

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Former US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka returned to the tennis court this year after taking a year off in 2023 due to the birth of her daughter. Osaka made most of her money from lucrative sponsorships with Louis Vuitton, Nike, TAG Heuer, and Panasonic.

Aryna Sabalenka kept improving on the WTA Tour and won the US and Australian Open in 2024, securing world number one status. The wins and ranking have triggered elite sponsorships with Nike, Wilson, Whoop, and Oak Berry USA.

Zheng was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and had a breakout year in 2024, winning Olympic gold in the singles, reaching the Australian Open final, and the quarterfinals of the US Open. As one of China's most popular sports stars, Gatorade, Wilson, McDonald's, Rolex, and Nike all sponsor her.

Things could change drastically for Iga Swiatek, who is currently in the middle of a doping scandal after admitting to taking trimetazidine, per Essentially Sports. She won the French Open for the fourth time this season and has won numerous WTA titles.

Two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu was born in the US but represents China in freestyle skiing. In China, she is a marketing force during the Olympic cycle, appearing on the covers of Vogue and InStyle. She also has a global partnership with Porsche.

American tennis star Coco Gauff is the highest-paid female athlete in 2024, becoming the third woman to earn $30 million annually. She reached the semi-finals of the Australian and French Open, but made most of her fortune from New Balance, Baker Tilly, Bose, Rolex, L'Oréal, and Naked.

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