Why Are There No Women Among the World’s 50 Highest-Paid Athletes Again in 2025?
In 2025, once again, the absence of female athletes from the elite ranks of the world’s 50 highest-paid sports stars raises eyebrows and sparks conversations. Despite a noticeable surge in earnings for women in sports—thanks to increasing sponsorships and viewer engagement—the highest financial echelons remain dominated by their male counterparts.
Take Coco Gauff, for example, the 21-year-old American tennis sensation who had an incredible run. In 2024, she not only set a personal record by earning $9.4 million in prize money but also raked in an impressive $25 million from endorsements. With a widening sponsorship portfolio that includes major brands like Carol’s Daughter and Naked Juice, Gauff’s total earnings reached a remarkable $34.4 million. This figure places her among the top female earners in history, yet it still falls short of the financial thresholds set by male athletes.
Even icons like Simone Biles and Caitlin Clark, who are trailblazers in gymnastics and basketball respectively, have faced similar hurdles. Despite their extraordinary achievements and rising marketability, they too find their earnings insufficient to crack the list of the most highly compensated athletes.
The reality is stark: while the revenue for female athletes is trending upward, it hasn’t reached the levels required for inclusion in the upper echelon of earners. The barriers that persist include structural inequalities in sponsorship deals, media coverage, and prize money allocations—factors that limit the economic landscape for women in sports.
This phenomenon raises pressing questions about the future of female athletes in the sports industry. Will the gap in earnings continue, or are we on the brink of a breakthrough where female athletes claim their rightful financial standing? As we celebrate the remarkable successes of athletes like Gauff, we must also advocate for continued progress to ensure that future generations of female sports stars can finally break through the glass ceiling of earnings that has long held them back.
By focusing on the achievements of these extraordinary women while also addressing the systemic issues that still exist, the sports community can pave the way for a more equitable future—where the immense talents of female athletes are appropriately recognized and rewarded. Until the next generation leaves their mark on the industry, we can only reflect on the strides made and the work that lies ahead.
Watch the video by Forbes
Video “Why No Women Are Among The World’s 50 Highest-Paid Athletes Again In 2025 | SportsMoney | Forbes” was uploaded on 07/01/2025 to Dailymotion Channel Forbes