We know that along with Venus and Serena Williams, Althea Gibson and Coco Guaff, Naomi Osaka is one of the most famous (and most skilled) tennis players to hold a racket. Now we also know that she’s making the big bucks, too.
It has been revealed that over the past 12 months, the acclaimed 23-year-old has earned a whopping $55 million. She is the highest paid woman in sports in the world.
Only just over $5 million of her earnings come from prize money won on the court, Sportico reports. The rest is constituted by a number of lucrative deals, including her role as a global ambassador for high fashion brand Louis Vuitton, her partnership with Nike (which she reportedly makes $10M per year for), a contract with Beats, work with clothing company Levi’s, her more current deal with food brand Sweetgreen and more. Eventually, Osaka is looking to have her own clothing line as well.
“Naomi is in the fortunate position that she has a good string of income,” said her agent and senior vice president of IMG Tennis, Stuart Duguid, to Forbes in February 2021. “She is not just chasing paychecks and the first conversation with a sponsor is never about the money anymore. There are so many things that are a bigger priority than the money. That is the luxury we have.”
Osaka is also trying her hand in the beauty/style realm—her forthcoming skincare company, KINLÒ, is for people with melanated skin. She has a collaborative swimsuit like with Frankie’s Bikinis, too.
But not only is Osaka earning, but she’s investing as well. In January 2021, it was announced that she had become an investor in the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), making her a part of the team’s ownership group.