In the past 12 months, Naomi Osaka has catapulted to new heights.
After storming onto the scene in 2018 with her U.S. Open win over Serena Williams and a grand slam win in Australia, Osaka hasn’t looked back.
She made history in 2019 when she set an all-time earnings record for a female athlete in a single year. Osaka made a total of $37.4 million from prize money and endorsements, $1.4 million more than Williams and high enough for her to rank 29th among the 100 highest-paid athletes.
Then 2020, with all of its highs and lows, turned into a banner year for the star. Osaka began to use her platform more to advocate for racial justice, pulling out of an event in Cincinnati and wearing masks in New York that highlighted the names of seven Black victims of police shootings.
The 23-year-old earned $55.2 million last year, according to Sportico, with $5.2 million in winnings and $50 million in endorsements. That total set a new record for female athletes, besting her own from 2019. Her earnings in off-court endorsements matched those of Cristiano Ronaldo and were topped only by Roger Federer, LeBron James and Tiger Woods.
Osaka is the second highest-paid tennis player on Sportico’s list of the top 100 athlete earners, just behind Federer who took home $84 million in 2020. The next highest female athlete on the list is Serena Williams, who sits at 44 with a $35.5 million payday.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will look to continue the clay season with a win at the French Open this week. Meanwhile, off the court, Osaka continues to dominate the fashion scene as co-chair of the Met Gala.