As curtains are set to draw down on the 2024 year, it is time to reflect on the achievements of the players on and off the court. With women’s sports growing massively, it has been a fantastic year for female athletes, who have left no stone unturned in their efforts. Forbes recently released the list of the highest-earning sportswomen of the 2024 season. While tennis stars dominated the list, there were some surprising entrants in the top 10, including the American legend, Venus Williams.
The 44-year-old has played just two tournaments this year and lost in the first rounds of both events. Additionally, she was absent from the Grand Slam tournaments and didn’t feature at the US Open. Despite her on-court absence, the elder Williams sister didn’t disappoint off the court and she even overtook Simone Biles in the Forbes list of highest-earning sportswomen this year.
Williams earned $12.1 Million this year and barring 0.1 Million, all her earnings came from off-court activities. The American legend has several endorsement deals in her kitty and she is one of the most marketable athletes even today. While Williams earns a lot as a public speaker, she is an ambassador for various brands and is also an entrepreneur.
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On the contrary, Biles is placed in the 10th spot, a rung below Williams in the Forbes list. She earned $11.2 Million in 2024, with $11 Million coming from her off-field activities. Unlike Williams, Biles was active this year and made several appearances at the Gymnastics tournaments. The Forbes list is topped by the American sensation, Coco Gauff, who made a whopping $34.4 Million this year.
Coming back to Venus though, despite being a Millionaire, she spends her money wisely. She once revealed precious financial advice for her fans.
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Owing a house has become a massive trend in America. People give up their life-long savings in order to own a property. However, Venus Williams has a contrary opinion when it comes to owning a property.
Talking about those who feel that owning a house is an American dream, she revealed, “I don’t think owning your house is the American dream. You should own the house once you’ve done everything else. Once you’ve invested your money, once it’s working for you, then maybe buy the house. Instead of putting that $100,000, $200,000 on that down payment, should you just rent a place and invest that money? You should compare the returns.”
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Traditionally speaking, owning a house has been considered a financial success. As per one of the surveys, 78% of Americans considered owning a house to be very important. Despite the advantages of owning a house, renting a property is, however, less expensive for a starter. Thus, Williams feels that the priorities should shift as per the economic trends. What are your thoughts on it?
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