Coco Gauff Named Highest-Paid Female Athlete In 2025

Coco Gauff was recently named the highest-earning female athlete in 2025 after raking in an estimated $37.6 million in earnings in the last 12 months.

Gauff finished third in the top 10 list among tennis players, behind ATP superstars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. However, no female athlete earned more than the 21-year-old American, according to Forbes.

Gauff earned $12.2 million in prize money in the past year, with her WTA Finals win at the back end of last season and a second Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open accounting substantially to that figure. But it is her burgeoning off-court brand that helped her stand out as one of the richest female athletes.

The World No. 3 earned an estimated $25 million from her lucrative set of sponsors that includes her gear manufacturer, New Balance. Gauff is also an investor in Unrivaled (a women’s three-on-three professional basketball league in the United States).

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has officially recorded her highest-earning season in 2025 and is on course to break Serena Williams’ all-time WTA prize money record before the end of the year. Sabalenka finished fifth in the overall list of highest-paid tennis players, but is the second-highest earner among female players with $27.4 million.

Qinwen Zheng sits just behind the Belarusian. The Chinese star banked an estimated $26.1 million in the last 12 months, of which $21 million came from off-court earnings. Zheng is a marquee sporting name back in her home country and has expanded her endorsement portfolio to include Audi, Dior, and Beats.

Two years ago, Iga Swiatek finished at the top in the women’s list, but has since been overtaken by her peers (ranked fourth behind the aforementioned trio). Swiatek is one of seven players who earned at least $20 million in the past year. Ten tennis players, including four women, collectively earned $285 million. This represents a 16% increase from last year’s total of $246 million.

The highest-paid female tennis players in 2025

1. Coco Gauff ($37.2 million)

2. Aryna Sabalenka ($27.4 million)

3. Qinwen Zheng ($26.1 million)

4. Iga Swiatek ($24 million)