Top 10 highest-paid female athletes in the world (2025) - Track and Field stars missing

For another year running, track and field stars are not on the list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.

The list, which has been dominated by tennis stars for over two decades, has been topped by one of the trio of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Naomi Osaka.

However, since last year, a new set of athletes have topped the list, having witnessed the retirement of Williams and Sharapova, while Osaka took the year off from tennis with the birth of her daughter Shai and paused many of her lucrative endorsement deals.

Professional tennis players overwhelm the list of the highest-paid sportswomen in the world, occupying six positions in the top 10, while athletics stars struggle to even be on the top 30-50 list.

They continue to command the top of the pay charts, while a skiier, a golfer, a basketballer, and a gymnast complete the top 10.

The inability of track and field stars to make the list has been a major concern for athletes and fans through the years, on the poor allocation the sport gets, even during major meets like the World Athletics Championships and Diamond League. 

The athletes are paid meager amounts after winning medals, and the only way the stars get enough money to live by is through shoe contracts and other endorsement deals, which the amounts signed are also insubstantial compared to other sports stars.

For example, the gold-medal-prize-winning money at a senior world athletics championship is US $60,000 in contrast to US $3,000,000 for the winner at the 2023 US Open tournament. 

While track and field athletes work hard all year round to improve their best and get to the elite level like their counterparts, the business side of the sport has been poor for decades, despite it being one of the world's most popular sports.

Athletics enthusiasts and shakers in the sport have discussed several means by which it can be more marketable, but every year there aren't many changes seen or that evolves.

With recent reports of the world's fastest woman Sha'Carri Richardson allegedly signing a US $20 million with Nike for five years, if true, will be a huge game changer in the future endorsements of female athletes in track and field.

According to sportico.com, Coco Gauff nudged out Iga Świątek and Eileen Gu with an estimated $30.4 million from prize money and endorsements in 2024. The 20-year-old captured her first Grand Slam at the US Open, triggering lucrative bonuses from partners New Balance and Head to retain the top spot for another year.

The top 15 earned a combined $221 million in 2024, up 27% versus last year, while 11 athletes made at least $10 million, up from six in 2023.

This sum includes prize money, salaries, and bonuses during 2024 for active athletes. The endorsement earnings estimates were compiled through conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements and also include royalties, memorabilia, appearance fees, media, and businesses tied to their celebrity. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.

Here are the highest-paid female athletes