Naomi Osaka becomes the highest-paid female athlete in 2022; 7 tennis players in Top 10

Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete in 2022, but tennis players in general enjoyed plenty of success.

In the world of sports, tennis is the best paid women's sport, which is why tennis players often place among the best when it comes to the highest-paid female athletes.

2022 is no exception, as two tennis players topped the list, and seven athletes in the Top 10 were tennis players. The highest on the list made by Forbes was Naomi Osaka.

Osaka hasn't played a lot in 2022. She completed a total of 23 matches, winning 14 and losing nine. On the tennis courts, she earned "only" $1.1 million, but it was thanks to her endorsements that she became the highest-pad female athlete this year.

In total, Osaka accumulated a total of an estimated $50 through various sponsorships, including controversial cryptocurrency FTX, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year. That put her total estimated earnings in 2022 to $51.1 million.

Second on the list was a tennis player who competed even less than Osaka in 2022. Serena Williams played only seven matches, winning three and losing four, which earned her around $300,000.

However, thanks to her portfolio of businesses and sponsorships, Williams earned $41 million away from the tennis courts, according to Forbes.

Third on the list is a freestyle skier, Eileen Gu, who earned an estimated $20.1 million in 2022. Behind her, however, is another group of tennis players.

Emma Raducanu earned a total of $18.7 million in 2022, only $700,000 out of which came thanks to prize money won on the WTA Tour. Raducanu earned the remaining $18 million through sponsorships.

That wasn't the case for the fifth Iga Swiatek. The Polish player earned $14.9 million in 2022, and almost $10 million (two thirds) came from her on-court efforts. Off the courts, Swiatek earned $5 million.

Other players who placed in the Top 10 were sixth Venus Williams with $12.1 million, seventh Coco Gauff with $11.1 million, and ninth Jessica Pegula, who earned an estimated $7.6 million.

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