Naomi Osaka becomes world’s highest-paid female athlete

TIL Desk Sports/ Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has become the highest paid female athlete in the world, topping American great Serena Williams.

According to the Forbes magazine, Osaka earned $37.4 million in the last 12 months from prize money and endorsements, $1.4 million more than Williams, setting an all-time earnings record for a female athlete in a single year.

Maria Sharapova previously held the record with $29.7 million in 2015. Since Forbes began tracking women athletes” income in 1990, tennis players have topped the annual list every year.

Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, ranks No. 29 on the 2020 Forbes list of the world”s 100 top-paid athletes while Williams is No. 33. The complete Forbes list, due to be released next week, has not featured two women since 2016, the magazine says.