Coco Gauff has proven critics wrong this season after they slammed hard on her for her poor performances in the first half of the year. But winning the Cincinnati Open in August made her invincible. She also fought hard for her breakthrough victory at the US Open, lifting the trophy at just 19.
In addition to a bright performance on the court, the American star has also raked in deals and endorsements from the court, which has made her one of the stars of the season.
Coco Gauff is the highest-paid female athlete of 2023
Coco Gauff has enjoyed a season to remember in 2023. The 19-year-old’s on-court performances were highlighted by her breakthrough victory at the US Open, her first Grand Slam title; however, she also raked in big deals and endorsements off the court.
Sportico released its annual list of the top earners, revealing that American Coco Gauff sat at the top spot among female athletes for the first time. The publication added that Gauff, who finished at the WTA’s world No. 3 ranking this season and took home four titles, attracted brands from all over the world.
The talented American star was also recently named the most marketable women’s tennis player in the world. She recently unveiled a new campaign for Ray Ban’s smart glasses with Meta, adding to a stable of sponsors including Bose, UPS, Barilla and Baker Tilly. She also famously signed with New Balance at 14 and plays with a Head racquet.
In 2022, on Sportico’s list, Coco Gauff featured at No. 8, with $6 million of her estimated $7.7 million in total earnings coming from endorsement deals. This year, her $22.7 million haul sent her to the top of the list, with $16 million alone coming from off-court earnings. A massive step-up for the American, which proves how bright her future is.
However, Sportico also added that to create its annual list, it relies on “conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements”—perhaps a player’s agent or a sponsor’s marketing insider—and also factors in “royalties, memorabilia, appearance fees, media and businesses tied to their celebrity.”
The Polish-born Swiatek finished the year atop the WTA rankings for the second straight season and was second on the Sportico list with $21.9 million, triggering bonuses from endemic partners. Seven of the Top 10 highest-paid women on Sportico’s list are tennis players, even as newer names like Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu have begun to replace the old guard of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka at the top.
Coco Gauff is the first American teenage US Open winner this century
Coco Gauff won her first WTA 500 title of the season in Washington, D.C. and her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati. The American star went into the US Open this year as one of the big favorites and she battled through, going all the way to the final and winning her first Grand Slam title of her career, defeating Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
With that, the 19-year-old Gauff became the first American teenager, male or female, to win the US Open this century. She was just the fourth American teenager to win it in the Open Era.
She also had a 16-game winning streak, the longest on the women’s tour this year, but Iga Swiatek finally snapped it in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event in Beijing. She currently sits at World No. 3, the only teenager in the WTA Top 40.
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