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Why none of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2026 are women

2026-05-22 19:15:00, Kuriozitete CNA

Why none of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2026 are women

For the third year in a row, no female athlete has been ranked on the list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world, despite significant growth in income in women's sports, according to the latest data published by Forbes.

Tennis player Jannik Sinner tops the list with an estimated $54.6 million in annual earnings, while NBA athletes dominate the list, with 20 of the 50 spots belonging to the league alone. Stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry continue to earn tens of millions of dollars a year, mainly from contracts and sponsorships.

In women's sports, tennis player Coco Gauff tops the list of the highest-paid athletes with an estimated $33 million a year, but that figure remains far below that of the elite men's sports. Legend Serena Williams was the last woman to enter the top 50 in 2023.

In women's basketball, the WNBA has seen huge financial growth, increasing the salary cap and team valuations, but salaries remain far lower than in the NBA. Even young stars like Caitlin Clark earn dozens of times less than their male counterparts like LeBron James.

In football and other sports, the differences are even more pronounced. Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has earned hundreds of millions of dollars a year, while in women's football salaries remain much lower.

Experts say the main reason for this gap is the different level of revenue that men's leagues generate compared to women's, especially from television rights and sponsorships. However, women's sports are growing rapidly and global revenues are expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

According to the analysis, young players like Caitlin Clark and Coco Gauff could be among the next candidates to break this limit and return women to the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world./ CNA





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