Naomi Osaka becomes highest paid female athlete

Naomi Osaka (Facebook)

According to Raz Mirza of Skysports on Tuesday, Naomi Osaka has passed Serena Williams as the highest paid female athlete of the world. Osaka has earned $37.4 million over the last year, which is also the most money any female athlete has ever earned over the span of a year. The time period that was used was from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020, and includes income from winnings as well as endorsements.

Osaka made $1.4 million more than Serena Williams during that time period. Williams earned $36 million. Remarkably, from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020, neither Williams or Osaka won a major title. The 2019 French Open champion was Ashleigh Barty of Australia. The 2019 Wimbledon champion was Simona Halep of Romania. The 2019 U.S. Open champion was Bianca Andreescu of Canada, and the 2020 Australian Open champion was Sofia Kenin of the United States.

From June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020, Osaka has won two WTA titles and Williams has one WTA title victory. Osaka defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the 2019 Pan Pacific Open from Osaka, Japan on September 22, and then beat Barty 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the 2019 China Open from Beijing on October 6. Williams meanwhile beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Auckland Open leading up to the Australian Open on January 12.

Osaka, who is currently ranked 10th in the world in women’s tennis, is considered extremely marketable because of her likeable demeanour. Considered at times shy on the court, Osaka has generated a massive number of fans on a global stage. Among the organizations Osaka has sponsorship agreements with include Nike, BodyArmor, Nissan, MasterCard, Yonex and Shiseido.