Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old tennis player from the United States, has made it to the top of the list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes in 2024. She has finished at the top of that list for the second successive year, and in the process became only the third woman, after Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, to exceed $30 million in total income annually.
Coco Gauff’s popularity has gone through the roof in the United States
Since her title triumph at the US Open last year, Gauff’s popularity in the United States has grown exponentially. The current world No. 3 earned almost $10 million through prize money this year, including $4.8 million by winning the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
However, it is largely her earnings through a lucrative deal with L’Oreal that have helped her earnings shoot up this year. Gauff failed to win the singles title in any of the Grand Slams this year, though she won the doubles title at the French Open. However, her somewhat below-par performances at the Majors do not seem to have had any effect on her popularity and earnings.
Her compatriot and fellow tennis pro, Ben Shelton, has said about Gauff,
“She’s charismatic. Such a great athlete. Has so many qualities out there that resemble a male player. The way she moves and the way she can defend. You see something from her that’s special and different. She plays with a lot of passion. You can tell she cares out there. She’s into it every time she’s out on court. I think that’s something people love”.
