How is an off-season best used? Players like Casper Ruud, Madison Keys, and Felix Auger-Aliassime will say engagement and wedding. Whereas players like Anna Kalinskaya and Jasmine Paolini will say vacation. And Carlos Alcaraz will say more exhibition matches. But for tennis experts, it is time to reflect on the season. More importantly, the money that players earned both on and off the court. How can the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka not be in the center of it?

Aryna Sabalenka finished this year in style as World No. 1 with two Grand Slam victories. The WTA Player of the Year title is a cherry on the cake for her. Per Sportico’s Top 15 Highest-Paid Female Athletes, Sabalenka stands at 5th, having earned a staggering $9.7M in prize money and about $8M in endorsements. While her accolades are commendable, they still pale in comparison to the female American players, whether we talk about the new generation of Coco Gauff or Serena Williams before her.

On that note, The Rennae Stubbs podcast, in her new episode titled ‘ExoPod,’ discussed the different dynamics of being a brand favorite. Joined by Andrea Petkovic and Angela Marker, the three talked about why Sabalenka isn’t the top pick despite being the world’s number one. Andrea Petkovic began saying, “You think Pegula doesn’t have a bigger paycheck on her head in her home country than Sabalenka?”

“Nobody in the States knows who she is, even though she’s number one in the world right outside the tennis community. But we saw it in the Forbes things that you just mentioned. Sabalenka and Rybakina combined earn less in sponsorship money than Emma Raducanu.” To which Stubbs replied, “We know why.” Petkovic then revealed the reason she believes is true by saying, “They are not from the States.”

To put it in perspective, according to Sportico’s list, Emma Raducanu earned a total of $14M in endorsements. In comparison, Belarusian player and Kazakhstani player Elena Rybakina have together earned $12M($4M of Rybakina’s), respectively. Sabalenka’s main sponsors include Nike and Wilson, while Raducanu has Dior, British Airways, Tiffany & Co., and Porsche in her bag. That explains it!

Incidentally, the highest-paid female athlete this year is also American. The 20-year-old Coco Gauff has collected $30.4M as total earnings, including $21M in endorsements alone. She is signed with New Balance, Bose, Barilla, and UPS. Gauff also recently released her own clothing line with American Eagle, a company she has been partnered with since she was 16 years old. And when talking about players from the States, how can one forget Serena Williams, who at her prime, raked in much more?

Serena Williams’ endorsement legacy sets the bar for a new age athletes

Serena Williams is one woman athlete who has continued to stand out and remains a favorite for deals and sponsorships. Williams, even after retiring, is still in demand. She was ranked No. 49 on Forbes’ 2023 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes list. From 2022 to 2023, the legend earned $45M pre-tax mainly from her deals with brands, including Nike, Lincoln, and Michelob Ultra Beer. It’s worth noting that she has made the list six times in the past ten years.

Shortly after embarking on her professional tennis career, Williams entered into a significant partnership with Puma, signing a $12 million endorsement deal in 1998. Her success led to an even more lucrative eight-year, $55 million contract with Nike in 2003. Building on this momentum, she secured another multi-year deal with Nike worth nearly $40 million in 2004, further solidifying her status as a highly sought-after athlete.

Williams has a net worth of $300M, including an estimated $200M earned through endorsement deals, as per Celebrity Net Worth, as of 2024. Serena Williams’ legacy proves that, in tennis, success doesn’t end with a final match. Can Aryna Sabalenka replicate what the American tennis women are doing?