Iga Swiatek was the best player in the world in 2022; however, she didn’t top the list of players who earned the most, as that went to Naomi Osaka due to her massive endorsements.
Swiatek was by far the best player in 2022, winning two Grand Slams on top of several more events. She played wonderful tennis and went on a historic 37-match winning streak at one point as well.
That massive success came with significant monetary gain because winning events earns a sizeable champion's purse, especially at the US Open, which generally, on average, has the highest prize money of all events.
That was enough for her to find herself on Forbes’ list of best-earning tennis players; however, she wasn’t the highest female earner in tennis despite that historic season.
That went to Naomi Osaka, who earned more through her brand deals. Osaka has been an endorsement powerhouse throughout her career. Even though her tennis performance has been lacking lately, her brand presence remains strong.
Swiatek commented on the Forbes list, admitting that the business side of her career could improve, even though money doesn’t motivate her.
"I’m glad to see that ranking. Money isn’t my motivation, but the tricky thing is I earned it really on court, and other players earned it mostly from endorsements, so there’s a difference. I feel I can still expand my business a bit."
Swiatek, as the top name in tennis, has a noticeably modest amount of endorsements, which could certainly grow. It’s an interesting demonstration of where the true money in tennis comes from, and it’s not always the prize money.
However, in terms of the on-court earnings, she was unmatched last year. No one earned more prize money directly as a result of their tennis than she did—fitting for the best player in the world.