Coco Gauff tops Forbes' list of the highest-earning female athletes for 2025, marking a remarkable achievement that emphasizes how women continue to break financial barriers in sports.
As of December 16, 2025, the tennis sensation, at just 21 years old, once again claims the title of the world’s highest-paid female athlete, as reported by Forbes magazine. This year, Gauff amassed an impressive total of $33 million in earnings. Out of this sum, $8 million was generated from her performance on the tennis court, bolstered significantly by her triumph at the French Open in June. However, it’s her off-court ventures that propelled her earnings to new heights, with a staggering $25 million coming from endorsements with renowned brands like New Balance, Bose, and Baker Tilly.
Forbes reveals that collectively, the top 20 female athletes earned a remarkable $293 million this year, reflecting a 13% increase compared to last year. This year also saw a record number of female athletes—14 in total—earning at least $10 million each.
Following closely behind Gauff is Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player who secured victory at the U.S. Open and reached the finals in both the Australian Open and French Open, totaling her earnings at $30 million. Sabalenka has also climbed to second place in terms of career prize money on the WTA tour, boasting $45.2 million, just behind Serena Williams’ impressive $94.8 million.
In third place is Iga Świątek, a six-time major champion, who earned $25.1 million this year. The top five is completed by freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who raked in $23.1 million, and fellow tennis player Qinwen Zheng with $22.6 million.
The list continues with other notable names such as Madison Keys at sixth ($13.4 million), and both Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina tied at eighth with $12.5 million each. Jessica Pegula rounds out the top ten with earnings of $12.3 million. Interestingly, the only athlete outside of tennis in the top ten is golfer Nelly Korda, who stands at seventh with $13 million.
Additionally, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever makes an appearance at eleventh on the list, earning $12.1 million, with the vast majority of her income derived from her performance on the basketball court. Her influence has been pivotal in elevating the WNBA’s popularity and viewership during her two seasons in the league.
