22-year old tennis star Naomi Osaka is now the highest-paid female athlete in history, according to Forbes. She reportedly earned $37.4 million over the last 12 months from prize money and endorsements, setting a new all-time record for a female athlete that broke the previous record of $29.7 million Maria Sharapova earned in 2015.
Osaka surpassed 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams, who has been the highest-paid female athlete in the last four years with earnings from $18 million to $29 million. This year, Osaka raked in $1.4 million more than Williams.
In September 2018, Osaka beat Williams in a remarkable U.S. Open women’s final. It was one of her two grand slam wins to date, the other one was at the Australian Open in 2018.
Osaka, who was born in Japan and raised in the US, initially struggled with her shyness, making it hard for her to appear in interviews and interact with other people, players, and fans. But now, she is making the most out of her platform.
In fact, she has been receiving a number of deals with several sponsors. She currently has 15 endorsement partners and a lucrative apparel deal with Nike.
More than that, Osaka ranks 29th in the top 100 highest-paid athletes, joining Williams who ranks 33rd, making them two of the only female athletes in the list.
Source: Forbes
