Naomi Osaka maybe isn’t the No.1 tennis player in the world anymore, but she recently got an even more lucrative title. According to Forbes magazine, Osaka is now the highest-earning female athlete in the world.
Forbes estimates that Osaka earned around $37.4 million in the past 12 months from tournament prizes, endorsement deals, and other appearances. With this kind of money in the bank, the 22-year-old Japanese managed to top the legendary Serena Williams, who netted $36 million during the same period. She also cracked the overall list of highest-earning athletes, sitting at No. 29.
In each of the previous four years, Williams ranked first on the list of highest-earning female athletes each time.
Naomi Osaka overtook the No.1 position with a combination of tennis-generated incomes and lucrative sponsorship deals. Osaka had much success on the court in the last two years, winning US Open and Australian Open titles while ranking high on other tournaments. Additionally, she became the face for a number of high-profile brands, like Procter & Gamble, All Nippon Airways, and Nissin.
