22-year-old Tennis star beats Serena Williams to become world’s highest-earning female athlete, makes N14.6bn in 1 year

Two years after beating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open final to win her first Grand Slam title, Naomi Osaka has toppled the Tennis legend to become world’s top-earning female athlete.

According to a story posted on Forbes.com on Friday, May 22, Osaka earned $37.4m in 1 year from endorsements and prize money, surpassing Serena Williams’ earning during that period.

The 22-year-old made a name for herself when she beat Williams in 2018 to win her first Grand Slam at the U.S Open.

She added the 2019 Australian Open title to her trophy cabinet, allowing her to become the first player from Asia to be No 1 in the women’s or men’s tennis rankings.

Osaka’s $37.4m earnings is a one-year record for a female athlete, as she surpasses the previous mark of 29.7m set by Maria Sharapova in 2015.

Earlier, Bioreports reported that Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is unarguably one of the most paid footballers in the world.

The Portugal international earns a staggering €4.5 million gross per month – only Lionel Messi makes more money than the 35-year-old.

He is on the verge of becoming the first football star to become a billionaire due to his earnings both on and off the pitch.

Ronaldo’s on and off-field earnings will soon see him join sport’s exclusive billionaire club – currently featuring only boxer Floyd Mayweather and Tiger Woods.

Business Insider reports that the Portuguese star made £39 million via Instagram posts during his first season at Juventus while his take-home pay was £30m from the club.

The five-time ballon d’Or winner cashes in on his vast social media followings through sponsored posts, while his other businesses would help push his target.