Naomi Osaka earned a female athlete record $55.2 million in the last 12 months. Tournament prize money constitutes $5.2 million of that amount, while $50 million comes from endorsements.
Four Grand Slam titles, multi-cultural heritage and willingness to stand up for her beliefs have made Osaka in high demand among brands. The 23-year-old has partnered with two dozen brands, including Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, Tag Heuer, Workday, Hyperice, and BodyArmor.
As Nike‘s most prominent tennis star right now, Osaka receives eight figures annually and designs her own collections. Together with NikeCourt lead designer Carly Ellis, Osaka created her tennis dress and shoes for the 2021 French Open. The WTA star has also recently launched her swimwear line with Los Angeles-based Frankies Bikinis. In addition, the former world No.1 has started her own skincare brand, Kinlò, focusing exclusively on products for darker skin tones.
The only athletes who have exceeded $50 million in endorsements are three men: Roger Federer, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods. Stuart Druid, the IMG agent behind Osaka’s marketing career, says that women’s sport is getting more attractive to sponsors nowadays:
Being a woman has made her even more attractive for sponsors. There’s a big push to invest in women in sports.
However, after Osaka and Serena Williams, there’s a big gap when it comes to earnings in women’s tennis. The two stars made a combined $90 million in the last 12 months, while the earnings of players that follow are in the $4 million to $6 million range. (source: Yahoo, photo: Jimmie48)
