Each year, the world’s highest-paid athletes earn billions of dollars through prize money and endorsement deals. These eye-popping figures continue growing, showing the immense financial power of the sports industry. But this huge wealth is not shared equally. While male athletes dominate the earnings charts, female athletes are far behind, earning only a fraction of their total payments.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, the ten highest-paid women athletes earned a total of over $181 million in 2024, or only one-seventh of top male athletes` earnings last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo Alone Raked in $80 Million More than Top Ten Female Athletes Combined
For years, men’s sports have dominated viewership, sponsorship, and media coverage. High-profile leagues like the Premier League, NBA, and NFL all attract massive audiences, generating huge revenue from endorsements and broadcasting deals. Despite their talents and achievements, female athletes often struggle for equal visibility. As advertisers and sponsors focus more on the male-dominated sports market, this results in a huge payment gap. The Forbes data show just how big that gap is.
Last year, the ten highest-paid female athletes earned $181.1 million, with Coco Gauff leading the list. The young US tennis star earned $34.4 million in 2024, over 70% of which came from endorsements.
Polish tennis player Iga Świątek ranked second on the list with $23.8 million in total earnings. The top five was rounded out by freestyle skier Eileen Gu, along with tennis players Qinwen Zheng and Aryna Sabalenka, who earned $22.1 million, $20.6 million, and $18.7 million, respectively. Other top female athletes earned much less, ranging from $12.9 million to $11.2 million.
Their male counterparts earned much more than that. According to Forbes, the top ten names in men’s sports, including superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Jon Rahm, Lionel Messi, and Lebron James, raked in a whopping $1.3 billion last year, or seven times more than top female athletes. Shockingly, Ronaldo alone earned $80 million more than the top ten female athletes combined. Jon Rahm’s solo earnings were also $37 million higher.
Tennis is the Highest-Paid Female Sport, while Soccer Tops in Men’s Sports Industry
Forbes also highlighted which sports pay the most for both females and males. While soccer dominates men’s sports, with four out of ten names on the list and collective earnings of $609 million in 2024, tennis is the highest-paid sport for women.
Last year, female tennis players made up seven out of the ten names on the Forbes list. These women collectively earned $135.3 million, representing 75% of the total earnings of the top 10.