Naomi Osaka is the world’s highest-earning female athlete. The Japanese tennis player appeared in Forbes Magazine’s ranking this past Thursday, earning $57.3 million in prize money and endorsements over the course of the past year.
The Forbes list showed that the top-earning female athletes were all tennis players, with Osaka occupying first place by a significant margin, followed by Serena and Venus Williams in second and third place, earning $45.9 million and $11.3 million, respectively. In fourth and fifth place were gymnast Simone Biles, earning $10.1 million, and Garbine Muguruza, the Venezuelan-born Spanish tennis player, who earned $8.8 million.
Tennis players occupied five of the top 10 spots on the ranking, a number that sounds impressive when compared to other sports, but that is the sport’s lowest tally in over a decade. For comparison purposes, last year all top 10 spots for highest-earning female athletes were occupied by tennis players.
Aside from being an incredible tennis player, Naomi Osaka is also an important figure for mental health, discussing the issue openly unlike many other athletes. In June 2021, Osaka stunned the world by withdrawing from the French Open following no physical injuries or strains. She made the announcement through an Instagram post. “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,” she wrote. “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.” While Osaka’s actions drew criticism from some followers and members of the tennis community, her statements mostly highlighted the importance of speaking up and the under-discussed issue of mental health problems that plague professional athletes.
Osaka is 24 years old and has been ranked the number 1 tennis player in the world. She is a four time Grand Slam champion.
