Coco Gauff’s Jaw-Dropping $30M Earnings Shockingly Fall Short of the 100 Highest-Paid Athletes List
Coco Gauff’s Rising Influence in Tennis and a Surprising Omission from Sport’s Highest-Paid List
Coco Gauff has been making waves both on and off the court. Her triumph at the WTA Finals last November made her the first American since Serena Williams in 2014 to win the prestigious season-ending tournament. Alongside the title, she secured a massive $4.8 million payday, contributing to her becoming the highest-paid female athlete in 2024 with an astounding $30 million in total earnings.
Yet, despite this remarkable achievement, Gauff was noticeably absent from Sportico’s recently released list of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes.
No Female Athletes Among Sportico’s Top 100 Earners
For the second consecutive year, Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with staggering earnings of $260 million. NBA stars Stephen Curry ($153.8 million) and LeBron James ($133.2 million) also secured top-five spots.
However, in a surprising revelation, no female athletes made the cut—despite the growing commercial success of women’s sports. According to Sportico, female athletes collectively earned nearly $221 million in 2024, a 27% increase from 2023. Yet, Gauff, who earned $30.4 million last year, still fell short of the $37.5 million threshold required to break into the top 100.
While this omission may be disappointing, Gauff has more pressing concerns at the moment, as her on-court struggles in 2025 have raised questions about her current form.
Coco Gauff’s Early-Season Setbacks in 2025
Following her WTA Finals triumph, Gauff had an impressive start to 2025. She led Team USA to victory at the United Cup, securing a crucial singles win against former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final.
At the Australian Open, she looked poised for another deep run but suffered a surprising quarterfinal loss to Paula Badosa, falling 7-5, 6-4. That defeat marked the beginning of a rough patch for the World No. 3.
Gauff’s struggles continued at the Qatar Open, her first tournament since Melbourne. Despite receiving a bye into the second round, she fell in straight sets to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk (6-2, 7-5), marking another disappointing early exit. The loss extended her losing streak in Doha, where she previously fell in the Round of 32 in 2024 and the quarterfinals in 2023.
As the season progresses, Gauff will look to regain her momentum and reassert herself as one of the game’s elite players. Will she bounce back stronger in the coming months? Only time will tell.
