01/28/2025
Caitlin Clark left behind by Coco Gauff as WNBA complaints justified after debut season
Coco Gauff was the highest-earning female athlete in 2024, taking home a staggering $30million for the year with a host of tennis stars, and WNBA icon Caitlin Clark trailing
Caitlin Clark's earnings for 2024 have been dwarfed by tennis sensation Coco Gauff, despite her incredible season on the court. Clark was crowned Rookie of the Year for her performances for Indiana Fever and is now the face of the WNBA.
Her debut year saw her bring increased viewership, merchandise sales, and ticket sales to the league. The 22-year-old took home $11.1m in 2024, with a staggering $11m coming from endorsements.
The salaries on offer in the WNBA have caused controversy with Angel Reese suggesting it isn't even enough to cover her rent. And it emerged this week that Clark is able to earn more than her salary with a side hustle involving virtual chats with fans.
And the gulf to other sports has again been displayed after U.S. tennis icon Gauff become the highest-earning female sports star of 2024. According to Sportico, the American tennis sensation raked in a whopping $30.4m this year, with most of her earnings coming from off-court endorsements.
Gauff, who made it to the semi-finals of both the Australian and French Opens this year, earned an impressive $9m from her tennis winnings, while over half of her income was generated through various deals. The young star, who reportedly started earning over $1m as a teenager, has lucrative contracts with brands like Head, Barilla Foods, UPS, and Baker Tilly.
However, it's her partnership with New Balance that draws the most attention, with Gauff seen wearing their gear throughout the year and even having her own signature tennis shoe deal. Gauff is the face of their women's tennis operations and has been featured alongside other sports greats like soccer star Bukayo Saka and baseball pitcher Shohei Ohtani.
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Coco Guaff won the WTA Finals to cap off a sensational 2024 (
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With her earnings, Gauff joins Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams as the only women athletes to earn over $30m in a single year. This highlights the financial opportunities in women's tennis, especially with the WTA planning to achieve equal prize money across the sport by 2033.
Interestingly, nine out of the top 15 highest-earning women this year are tennis players. Joining Gauff in the top earners are Iga Swiatek with $21m, Qinwen Zheng with $20.6m, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with $18m.
Golf also made a strong showing with three entries in the top 15, while gymnastics (Simone Biles), skiing (Eileen Gu) also made the list.