"Caitlin Clark made $80,000, Nelly Korda $4.4 million; Coco Gauff won more than that for one week": Insider reviews WTA's status in sports landscape

Coco Gauff emerged as the highest-paid female athlete for the second year in a row in 2024. Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim used the American's earnings, alongside other WTA stars to argue for WTA's dominance in the women's sports landscape.

Coco Gauff topped the list of highest-paid female athletes for the second time in her career, earning $30.4 million in 2024. The list, published by Sportico, showed that the American earned $9.4 million in tournament prize money on the 2024 WTA Tour and $21 million from endorsements and brand deals. The 20-year-old was followed by skier Eileen Gu ($22.1 million) and fellow tennis star Iga Swiatek ($21.4 million) in the list.

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim used the figures from Sportico's list to highlight tennis's dominance in the worldwide women's sports landscape. In his latest Tennis Mailbag column for Sports Illustrated, Wertheim noted that WNBA star Caitlin Clark, the only basketball player in the top 10, earned around $100,000 in 2024 prize money, which is roughly equivalent to a first-round Grand Slam payout.

Meanwhile, Golf's only top-10 entrant, Nelly Korda, earned $4.4 million in 2024 prize money, which is less than what Gauff took home after winning the WTA Finals. The American received $4.8 million for winning the year-end championship.

"The free market is a barometer for success, look at the WTA in 2024. Cailin Clark made roughly $80,000 in her rookie salary. That’s first-round prize money at a major. Nelly Korda won seven (!) LPGA events and pulled in $4.4 million in official earnings for ’24. Coco Gauff won more than that for one week of matches at the WTA Finals," Jon Wertheim wrote.

Wertheim turned to Serena Williams for a historical comparison. The insider noted that the American legend retired with nearly $100 million in prize money, setting her up to achieve billionaire status in the future.

"Serena Williams retired with almost $100 million in prize money alone—unadjusted for inflation—and is on her way to becoming a billionaire.," Wertheim added.

Williams won 23 singles and 14 doubles Grand Slam titles in her career and earned $94 million in career prize money.

---

Coco Gauff was one of nine WTA players in top 15 of highest-paid women athletes list for 2024

Coco Gauff (Source: Getty)

Tennis dominated Sportico's list of highest-paid women athletes in 2024, with nine of the top 15 spots occupied by women tennis players. As mentioned above, Gauff and Swiatek took the first and third spots. Two more tennis players completed the top five. Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen is at #4 with $20.6 million and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at #5 with $17.7 million.

Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu featured on the list at #6 and #7 spot, respectively. Despite not earning much prize money this year, the duo raked in millions from brand endorsements, with Osaka's total 2024 figure at $15.9 million and Raducanu at $14.7 million.

Other WTA players in the top 15 are Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina. Paolini is ranked #11 after earning $10 million in 2024, while Pegula is #13 with $8.2 million and Rybakina is at #14 spot with $7.9 million.