Women Shut Out Again From List of Top 100 Highest-Paid Athletes

January 14, 2026

Female athletes are earning more than ever as dollars flow into professional leagues in basketball, soccer, softball, hockey and volleyball. A record 15 female pros earned more than $10 million last year via salaries, prize money and endorsements, up from only six in 2023.

Yet for the third straight year, no women cracked Sportico’s look at the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. Tennis star Coco Gauff was the top-earning female athlete at $31 million, while the top 100 cutoff was New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby at $37.9 million. Gauff would have ranked No. 122 in a deeper list of athletes. Sportico