Coco Gauff is the highest-paid female athlete of 2024 and she’s not the only Black woman on the list

Coco Gauff has solidified her position as the highest-paid female athlete of 2024, marking her second consecutive year at the top. With approximately $30 million in earnings from endorsements and prize money, Gauff exemplifies the financial strides women, particularly Black female athletes, are making in sports.

Fellow tennis icon Naomi Osaka secured sixth place on the list with $15 million in earnings, while Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles earned $11.1 million. These accomplishments come amidst a broader surge in interest in women’s sports, highlighted by initiatives like the launch of the All Women’s Sports Network and the Unrivaled Women’s Basketball League.

Yet, the earnings of top Black female athletes still pale compared to their male counterparts, with LeBron James alone earning over $128 million in 2024, underscoring persistent pay disparities across gender and racial lines.

Endorsements remain a major revenue source for female athletes, as illustrated by Gauff, Osaka, and Biles. This dependency is rooted in the ongoing wage gap in professional sports, which often forces female athletes to seek financial stability off the court or field. WNBA star Angel Reese recently emphasized this imbalance, revealing that her league earnings do not cover her basic expenses. However, the landscape may be shifting. The Unrivaled Women’s Basketball League, for instance, aims to set a new standard by offering a minimum salary of $100,000 per season—the highest in women’s professional sports history.

According to league co-founder Napheesa Collier, the goal is to pay women what they are worth and foster transformative change in the industry. Despite challenges, the successes of Gauff and her peers reflect a growing recognition of Black female athletes’ contributions to sports and their push for equitable treatment.