Naomi Osaka tops Serena Williams as world's highest-earning female athlete

Naomi Osaka, who captured her first major title at the 2018 US Open, has won about $14.5m in career prize money, according to the WTA, a little less than half of which was earned in 2019. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters

Naomi Osaka has been a grand slam champion and No 1 in the WTA rankings – and now she’s No 1 on another list: top-earning female athlete.

According to a story posted on Forbes.com on Friday, the 22-year-old player earned $37.4m over the past 12 months from endorsements and prize money, eclipsing Serena Williams in that span.

Forbes said Osaka’s total is a one-year record for a female athlete, topping the previous mark of 29.7m set by Maria Sharapova in 2015.

Osaka is No 29 overall, with Williams at No 33, on Forbes’ annual list of the 100 top-earning athletes.

Williams had led the way among women each of the past four years.

Osaka beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final and then added the 2019 Australian Open title, allowing her to become the first player from Asia to be No 1 in the women’s or men’s tennis rankings.

Osaka has won about $14.5m in career prize money, according to the WTA, a little less than half of which was earned in 2019.

The Florida-based Osaka’s mixed heritage – she has a Japanese mother and Haitian-American father – her engaging personality and attacking style of play have combined to make her one of the world’s most marketable athletes.

Part of the stable of management group IMG, Osaka currently has 15 sponsorship deals, including with global brands such as Nike, Nissan Motors, Shiseido and Yonex.