Top 10 prize money earners of 2023 WTA season ft. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff

Another season of tennis has come to an end and on the women's tour, Iga Swiatek continues to reign as the numero uno for another year. However, unlike in 2022, the Pole had to deal with plenty of challenges this time around.

Aryna Sabalenka was on hot on Swiatek's tail right from the start, with Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina making things difficult for her as well. The foursome, along with Jessica Pegula, separated themselves from the rest of the tour with their results.

This year saw an increase in prize money, with a good run at the Majors being the most financially rewarding. With that, here's a look at the leading top earners of the 2023 season on the WTA Tour:

#10 - Maria Sakkari

Maria Sakkari at the 2023 Guadalajara Open.

While Sakkari had a disappointing run at the Majors this season, she still concluded the year on a strong note. She claimed her second career title and her first at the WTA 1000 level by winning the Guadalajara Open. The triumph also added $454,500 to her bank account.

While Sakkari initially didn't make the cut for the WTA Finals, Karolina Muchova's withdrawal ushered her into the tournament. The Greek didn't make it past the group stage, but still bagged $396,000 for her efforts. In all, she earned $2,605,413 in 2023, which is slightly more than what she did last year.

#9 - Karolina Muchova

It looked like Muchova would finally play a full season, but it wasn't meant to be as an injury sidelined her following her semifinal finish at the US Open. The Czech reached her maiden Grand Slam final at the French Open, but lost to Iga Swiatek.

Muchova's runner-up finish in Paris contributed to half of her prize money this year, which stood at $2,804,438. She also reached the final in Cincinnati, a WTA 1000 event, and received $556,630 for her performance.

This is the most Muchova has made in a single year and surpassed her previous record of $1.3 million which she set in 2019. If she remains healthy next year, she can certainly exceed this year's tally as well.

#8 - Beatriz Haddad Maia

It was a career best year for Haddad Maia. She won the singles and doubles titles at the WTA Elite Trophy. She reached her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open and peaked at No. 10 in the rankings.

Haddad Maia also teamed up with Victoria Azarenka to win the doubles title at the Madrid Open. Her efforts across singles and doubles helped her earn $2,858,821 in prize money this year. It's her best season in terms of earnings and she earned twice as much compared to last year.

#7 - Ons Jabeur

Despite struggling with recurring injuries and a dip in form, Jabeur finished yet another year in the top 10. She won titles in Charleston and Ningbo, while securing another runner-up finish at Wimbledon.

Jabeur made $3,194,564 in 2023, which is a far cry from her last season's haul of $4,977,069. While her results were fairly decent this year, the Tunisian will be aiming for a better showing in 2024.

#6 - Marketa Vondrousova

While Vondrousova's talent is undeniable, she still took the world by surprise with her Wimbledon victory. Her results in the lead-up to the tournament were decent, but didn't place her atop the list of favorites to win the title at the All England Club.

Vondrousova's near $3 million payday courtesy of her Wimbledon win made up a significant portion of her prize money this year. The Czech ended up with $4,473,278 in 2023 and eclipsed her previous personal best mark of $2 million in 2019.

#5 - Elena Rybakina

While Rybakina didn't add another Major trophy to her collection this year, it was yet another successful season for her. She won titles in Rome and Indian Wells, and finished as the runner-up in Miami and the Australian Open.

With a string of solid results at some of the biggest tournaments on the tour, Rybakina's earnings were equally impressive. The Kazakh made $5,493,437 this year, which is a lot more than her last year's total of $3,613,440.

#4 - Jessica Pegula

Pegula played the most number of matches on the WTA tour this year. The American was a workhorse as she partcipated in singles, doubles and mixed doubles throughout the season.

Pegula won the Canadian Open and the Korea Open in singles, and the Qatar Open and Miami Open in doubles. She reached the doubles finals in Madrid and Rome, along with her first mixed doubles final at the US Open. The 29-year old also lost to Swiatek in the final of the WTA Finals.

With Pegula making it to the business end of most tournaments, it's quite obvious that she made considerable bank this year. She earned $5,967,890 in prize money this season, a new record for her.

#3 - Coco Gauff

Gauff finally nabbed her maiden Grand Slam title with her brilliant run at the US Open. The teenager also won three more titles in singles, along with doubles titles in Doha and Miami.

Gauff doubled her earnings from last year by making a total of $6,669,622 in 2023. With the American hitting her stride and improving by a considerable margin this year, it won't be surprising to see her better this record next season.

#2 - Aryna Sabalenka

After a tough 2022 season, Sabalenka enjoyed plenty of highs this year. She laid hands on her maiden Grand Slam title with her win at the Australian Open. She also won titles in Adelaide and Madrid.

Sabalenka ascended to the top of rankings following her runner-up finish at the US Open. She also reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals, Wimbledon and the French Open. The Belarusian's consistency across all tournaments she competed in rewarded her with $8,202,653 in prize money this year.

Sabalenka's earnings this season helped her crack the $20 million mark in terms of career prize money. She currently ranks 24th among all-time prize money leaders.

#1 - Iga Swiatek

Swiatek's surpremacy was challenged by a handful of players this season, but she rose to the occasion and emerged stronger than ever. She relinquished her hold on the No. 1 ranking to Sabalenka, but seized it back by winning the WTA Finals.

Swiatek also defended her French Open title and secured her fourth Major crown in the process. She won titles in Doha, Stuttgart, Warsaw and Beijing as well. Naturally, being the most dominant player of the season, the 22-year old laughed all the way to the bank as she made a whopping $9,857,686 this year.

Swiatek currently ranks 14th with respect to all-time prize money earners. If she maintains her current pace, she could easily crack the top five in a couple of years.

Edited by Rohit