According to calculations by Forbes magazine, Iga Świątek was the highest-earning female athlete in the entire world in 2023. The Polish tennis player earned a total of $23.9 million from her on-court achievements and off-court activities. Following her in the list is Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who amassed $22.1 million.
The earnings figures compiled by Forbes were derived from official data. Estimates for off-court earnings were based on industry insider discussions and include income from endorsements, licensing, memorabilia sales, and business ventures that include stakes in various companies.
The analysis does not take into account taxes or costs for agents or intermediary commissions. Świątek’s income comprised $9.9 million from tournament prizes and $14 million from off-court activities.
At just 22 years old, Świątek spent 82 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings, which is the tenth-longest in history. Throughout her career, she has earned nearly $25 million on the court, ranking her 14th on the all-time list, as reported by Forbes.
Gu’s high earnings are primarily attributed to lucrative sponsorship deals. The Chinese athlete, who was the gold medalist in last year’s Winter Beijing Olympics for the big air and halfpipe events, earned $22.1 million, of which only $0.1 million was from competitions. She spent most of the year recovering from an injury.
American tennis player Coco Gauff ranked third with earnings of $21.7 million. The highest-earning female athletes in 2023 are:
- Iga Świątek (Poland, tennis) – $23.9 million ($9.9 million on-court + $14 million off-court)
- Eileen Gu (China, freestyle skiing) – $22.1 million ($0.1 million on-court + $22 million off-court)
- Coco Gauff (USA, tennis) – $21.7 million ($6.7 million on-court + $15 million off-court)
- Emma Raducanu (UK, tennis) – $15.2 million ($0.2 million on-court + $15 million off-court)
- Naomi Osaka (Japan, tennis) – $15 million (all off-court)
- Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus, tennis) – $14.7 million ($8.2 million on-court + $6.5 million off-court)
- Jessica Pegula (USA, tennis) – $12.5 million ($6 million on-court + $6.5 million off-court)
- Venus Williams (USA, tennis) – $12.2 million ($0.2 million on-court + $12 million off-court)
- Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, tennis) – $9.5 million ($5.5 million on-court + $4 million off-court)
- Leylah Fernandez (Canada, tennis) – $8.8 million ($1.8 million on-court + $7 million off-court)
