Coco Gauff joins elite Serena Williams club after recording-breaking year brings in $30m despite no Grand Slam title

For the second-year running Coco Gauff is the number one. After claiming the WTA Finals title for the first time, the world no.3 tops the highest-paid female athlete rankings again but this time breaking her own 2023 record. Coco Gauff won the WTA finals in Riydah this year That’s despite no single Grand Slam title in 2024. The 20-year-old tennis star ranks top of Sportico’s list of the year’s highest paid female athletes, raking in $30.4 million from prize money and endorsements. It leaves her clear of skiier Eileen Gu who is second, and her fellow tennis stars with Iga Swiatek ($21.4 million) and Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million) who rank third and fourth respectively. Her $9.2m prize was only bettered by Aryna Sabelanka who came in fifth overall, while her $21million in endorsements was only topped by US-born Chinese ski star Gu who brought in $22million. With Gauff increasing her own earrings by $7.3 million from 2023, she now becomes the third woman ever in sports to earn over $30 million in a single year joining fellow Grand Slam winners Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. Tennis players dominate the 2024 list with nine of the 15 highest paid women in sports all from the sport with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu also in the top ten. While Gauff has enjoyed tremendous success off the court, she had endured had a disappointing year until her WTA Finals triumph in Riyadh. Her Grand Slam year was disappointing as she missed out on defending her US Open title with a fourth-round exit in New York and was beaten at the semi-final stage of the Australian and French Open. However Gauff did win three WTA titles in 2024 including the most lucrative event on tour, defeating Zheng to claim the $4.8 million winners cheque as a result, the biggest pay-out for a women’s tennis event in history. However it was off the court that the 2023 US Open champion continue to significantly boost her earnings, with $21 million coming from sponsorship deals. According to Sportico this includes brands like L’Oreal where she signed a multi-year deal and juice brand Naked where the WTA finals champion has an equity position. The 20-year-old will look to have another career best off-court but also on-court and has already started her pre-season in a bid to do so, announcing on X, “First day of preseason gives first day of school vibes.” Four-time major doubles champion Rennae Stubbs recently spoke out on what Gauff needs to do to become a Grand Slam champion again with the Australian highlighting one flaw. Gauff won the US Open last year but still earnt more prize money in 2024 first day of preseason gives first day of school vibes — Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) November 26, 2024 “It will be interesting to see how going out of indoors – because we know playing indoors helps your serve,” she said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. “I want to see how she can handle that going outdoors, with the sun and elements etc because I think if she can get a more consistent kick serve that would be huge.” Gauff has struggled with her serve on tour this year, most notably when she hit 21 double faults against Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open earlier this year and threw away the match from a winning position. “That’s all she needs to work on, the serve. The forehand is getting better, that will be okay,” Stubbs also said. “Her biggest issue is the serve, if she is double-faulting she is hurting herself big time. I think she is a real threat at the Australian Open if that is under control.” Gauff will restart her WTA season at the United Cup where she will link up with compatriots Danielle Collins and Taylor Fritz as they look to win the title for the United States. The first major of the year, the Australian Open starts on January 13, and having reached the last four last year, Gauff will hope to win the title for the first time in her career.

TomHanks

Dec 5, 2024 - 13:31

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Coco Gauff joins elite Serena Williams club after recording-breaking year brings in $30m despite no Grand Slam title

For the second-year running Coco Gauff is the number one.

After claiming the WTA Finals title for the first time, the world no.3 tops the highest-paid female athlete rankings again but this time breaking her own 2023 record.

Coco Gauff won the WTA finals in Riydah this year

That’s despite no single Grand Slam title in 2024.

The 20-year-old tennis star ranks top of Sportico’s list of the year’s highest paid female athletes, raking in $30.4 million from prize money and endorsements.

It leaves her clear of skiier Eileen Gu who is second, and her fellow tennis stars with Iga Swiatek ($21.4 million) and Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million) who rank third and fourth respectively.

Her $9.2m prize was only bettered by Aryna Sabelanka who came in fifth overall, while her $21million in endorsements was only topped by US-born Chinese ski star Gu who brought in $22million.

With Gauff increasing her own earrings by $7.3 million from 2023, she now becomes the third woman ever in sports to earn over $30 million in a single year joining fellow Grand Slam winners Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.

Tennis players dominate the 2024 list with nine of the 15 highest paid women in sports all from the sport with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu also in the top ten.

While Gauff has enjoyed tremendous success off the court, she had endured had a disappointing year until her WTA Finals triumph in Riyadh.

Her Grand Slam year was disappointing as she missed out on defending her US Open title with a fourth-round exit in New York and was beaten at the semi-final stage of the Australian and French Open.

However Gauff did win three WTA titles in 2024 including the most lucrative event on tour, defeating Zheng to claim the $4.8 million winners cheque as a result, the biggest pay-out for a women’s tennis event in history.

However it was off the court that the 2023 US Open champion continue to significantly boost her earnings, with $21 million coming from sponsorship deals.

According to Sportico this includes brands like L’Oreal where she signed a multi-year deal and juice brand Naked where the WTA finals champion has an equity position.

The 20-year-old will look to have another career best off-court but also on-court and has already started her pre-season in a bid to do so, announcing on X, “First day of preseason gives first day of school vibes.”

Four-time major doubles champion Rennae Stubbs recently spoke out on what Gauff needs to do to become a Grand Slam champion again with the Australian highlighting one flaw.