By CultureBanx Team
- Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka make up 5 of the top 10 highest-paid Black female athletes
- The world’s 10 highest-paid female athletes earned a combined $285M before taxes in 2022
Black female athletes are known to be some of the best players in sports regardless of gender. They are not only in command of their respective sports; they are in command of the media’s attention with Serena Williams at $41.3 million and Naomi Osaka sitting atop the mountain at $51.1 million. These ratings and revenue-generating titans are now starting to see the fruits of their labor by being better compensated for their contributions to the game with the world’s 10 highest-paid female athletes earning a combined $285 million before taxes in 2022, a 17% increase from last year.
Why This Matters: Most of these athletes’ total compensation comes through endorsements and more than seven women made at least $10 million. Investors, corporations, and media outlets have finally realized that women’s sports are profitable. A recent Forbes article stated that “The world’s ten highest-paid female athletes earned a combined $285 million before taxes in 2022, a jump up from the prior record of $167 million set in the prior year”.
Specifically, five of the top ten highest-paid female athletes are Black women. Gymnast G.O.A.T Simone Biles came in at $10.1 million and newcomer to the list tennis breakout star Coco Gauff made $11.1 million. The highest-paid female athlete category is dominated by dominated by tennis players, as the account for seven of the top ten spots.
These figures should serve as good news for the long-term sustainability of women’s sports. In an industry far from peaking, young Black girls can make a great living out of playing sports they love.
Situational Awareness: The disparity between male and female athletes is well documented. The salary and endorsements for female athletes are typically a fraction of what their male counterparts make. Talking heads usually explain this by pointing to the fact that women’s sports aren’t popular and, therefore, not as lucrative to justify the paydays that men’s sports bring in. Increasingly those talking points are becoming moot with the help of Black female athletes.
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