•Serena, Venus and Simona
Tennis, with its glamorous tournaments and global fan base, has produced some of the richest athletes in the world.
Tennis stands out among professional sports for offering equal prize money to both male and female competitors at its four grand slam tournaments. However, this parity is not yet universal.
As of July 2024, according to Spotrac, the three highest-paid female tennis players are ranked by their Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) earnings, including major titles won includes the following:
1. Serena Williams
A true tennis legend, Serena Williams dominated the women’s game for over two decades until she retired from professional tennis ending a career during which she amassed almost $95 million in prize money.
The 42-year-old started her professional tennis career at the age of 14 by winning the US Open in 1999, a victory that made her the first African-American woman of the Open Era to claim the title.
Her career has since flourished, earning her millions along the way.
One of the most decorated tennis players of all time, 23-time major champion Serena Williams is the highest-paid female tennis player with $94.8 million in total career earnings.
Although she remains a prominent figure in the tennis community., Serena remained active in various businesses through her firm, Serena Ventures, while maintaining endorsement deals with more than a dozen brands, as reported by Forbes.
As of April 17, Williams’ estimated net worth was at $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
2. Venus Williams
Venus Williams comes immediately after Serena with a total earnings of over $42million from professional tennis.
Similar to her younger sister Serena, Venus started her professional career at the age of 14.
She, however, has achieved the prestigious title of world No.1 in singles on three separate occasions.
Although Venus has not retired from tennis, Venus has various business ventures, including her fashion line, EleVen.
3. Simona Halep
Taking the third position is Romanian professional tennis player, Simona Halep with total career earnings of $40.2 million.
The former World No. 1 has accumulated her wealth through prize money and endorsements with companies like Nike and Wilson.
She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles twice for a total of 64 weeks, which ranks twelfth in the history of the Women’s Tennis Association rankings.
