Top-earning women’s tennis players of all time

In 1968, professional tennis entered the Open Era. With the introduction of the four Grand Slam tournaments—the U.S. Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon—the division between pros and amateurs finally ended. But there was still the matter of male versus female players.

In 1973, Billie Jean King famously beat Bobby Riggs in “The Battle Of The Sexes,” winning $100,000. But her plea for gender equality came three years prior when she won the Italian Open and earned a mere $600, far less than the male winner, Ilie Năstase, who took home $3,500. The discrepancy prompted her famous quote, “Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top, too.”

King continued championing women’s rights throughout her career and founded the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973. Because of her advocacy, tennis has slowly closed the gender gap, and now male and female players earn the same amount of prize money in each of the four majors. However, a September 2023 analysis from Sportico found that pay inequality persists in the sport, with the top 10 male players earning 53% more than the top 10 female players across 2020, 2021, and 2022.

As we transition from clay court season—with Coco Gauff defeating Aryna Sabalenka for her first French Open title—to grass court season, Stacker looked at the 25 top-earning women’s tennis players of all time, using data compiled by the WTA Tour. Earning totals are current as of June 16, 2025.

With Wimbledon 2025 and its £3 million women’s prize money right around the corner, a good number of these players could see their overall career earnings make a sizable jump. Will defending champ Barbora Krejčíková come out on top again and earn herself a spot on our list? Or will another all-star talent nab the Venus Rosewater Dish—and the check that comes with it?

Read on to see the WTA’s top earners of all time.

#25. Justine Henin

– Career earnings: $20,863,335
– Turned professional: 1999
– Country: Belgium

Justine Henin spent 117 total weeks as the world’s #1 player during her 12-year career. The Belgian player also won seven Grand Slam singles titles, 43 WTA singles titles, and a gold medal in women’s singles at the 2004 Olympics.

#24. Martina Navratilova

– Career earnings: $21,626,089
– Turned professional: 1973
– Country: United States

Martina Navratilova is the only player on this list to turn pro in the ’70s. During her prolific career, the Czech American player spent a whopping 332 total weeks ranked #1 in the world in singles and a record 237 weeks in the top spot for doubles. That makes her the only player in history to top both rankings for more than 200 weeks. Considered one of the best players of all time, Navratilova won 167 WTA singles titles and 18 Grand Slams before retiring in 2006.

#23. Steffi Graf

– Career earnings: $21,895,277
– Turned professional: 1982
– Country: Germany

Steffi Graf broke all kinds of records during her nearly 17-year career. The German player was ranked #1 in the world for an unbelievable 377 total weeks, which is more than any other player in history. She’s also the only tennis player in history to win a Golden Grand Slam (titles in all four majors plus an Olympic gold medal) in the same year, and holds at least four titles in every Grand Slam. She is married to retired tennis star Andre Agassi.

#22. Lindsay Davenport

– Career earnings: $22,166,338
– Turned professional: 1991
– Country: United States

Lindsay Davenport won 55 WTA titles during her career, including three Grand Slams. She also took home a women’s singles gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. She is one of just a few women who have held the world #1 ranking four or more times.

#21. Madison Keys

– Career earnings: $22,361,072
– Turned professional: 2009
– Country: United States

Madison Keys was first introduced to tennis by watching Venus Williams at Wimbledon on TV. Inspired, Keys leveled up her own training and went pro at just 14 years old. She won her first WTA singles title in 2014 and has racked up another nine in the years since. Known for her fast serve and powerful forehand, Keys placed fourth at the 2016 Olympic Games. In 2025, Keys defeated two-time reigning champion Sabalenka at the Australian Open to seal the first Grand Slam victory of her career.

#20. Naomi Osaka

– Career earnings: $22,585,445
– Turned professional: 2014
– Country: Japan

Naomi Osaka is the first Asian player to be ranked #1 in singles. She’s won four Grand Slam singles titles and seven WTA titles since turning pro in 2014. Off the court, Osaka was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year and the Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year in 2020.

#19. Ashleigh Barty

– Career earnings: $23,829,070
– Turned professional: 2010
– Country: Australia

Before retiring in March 2022, Ashleigh Barty had an impressive career. She holds 15 WTA singles titles and 12 doubles titles. She’s also won three Grand Slams in singles and one in doubles.

#18. Kim Clijsters

– Career earnings: $24,545,194
– Turned professional: 1997
– Country: Belgium

Kim Clijsters has been playing tennis professionally for more than 25 years. In that time, she’s won 41 WTA singles titles and 11 doubles titles. She’s also won all four Grand Slams (Australian Open and U.S. Open in singles, and Wimbledon and the French Open in doubles).

#17. Martina Hingis

– Career earnings: $24,749,074
– Turned professional: 1994
– Country: Switzerland

When Martina Hingis reached all four majors finals (winning three) in 1997, she became the youngest Grand Slam winner in Open Era history at the age of 16. By the time she retired in 2017, the Swiss player had achieved 43 WTA singles titles and 13 doubles titles. She won five Grand Slams in singles.

#16. Garbiñe Muguruza

– Career earnings: $24,813,892
– Turned professional: 2011
– Country: Spain

Since turning pro, Garbiñe Muguruza has made quite a name for herself. She’s won 10 WTA singles titles, including the 2021 WTA Finals, and two Grand Slams. She also has five doubles titles.

#15. Svetlana Kuznetsova

– Career earnings: $25,816,890
– Turned professional: 2000
– Country: Russia

Svetlana Kuznetsova won 18 WTA singles titles and 16 doubles titles in her career. The St. Petersburg, Russia, player also won four total Grand Slams (two in singles and two in doubles).

#14. Elina Svitolina

– Career earnings: $26,066,367
– Turned professional: 2010
– Country: Ukraine

Elina Svitolina has won 18 WTA singles titles since going pro in 2010. Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Svitolina also won the women’s singles bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics, earning her home country its first Olympic medal in tennis.

#13. Karolína Plíšková

– Career earnings: $26,111,050
– Turned professional: 2006
– Country: Czech Republic

Karolína Plíšková has won 17 WTA singles titles and five doubles titles in her career. The Czech pro also made the Grand Slam finals twice, though she has yet to win a title.

#12. Coco Gauff

– Career earnings: $27,129,046
– Turned professional: 2018
– Country: United States

At just 21 years old, Coco Gauff ranked #2 in WTA singles in 2025. The talented athlete burst onto the scene in 2019 when she received a wildcard draw into Wimbledon—there, Gauff beat Venus Williams and reached the fourth round of the tournament. Since then, she has won 10 singles titles, including the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2025 French Open, and participated in the 2024 Olympic Games.

#11. Agnieszka Radwańska

– Career earnings: $27,683,807
– Turned professional: 2004
– Country: Poland

Agnieszka Radwańska won 20 WTA singles titles and two doubles titles in her career. Though she never won a major, she became the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final when she lost to Serena Williams in the 2012 Wimbledon championship. She is also the first Polish woman to win the WTA Finals.

#10. Angelique Kerber

– Career earnings: $32,519,180
– Turned professional: 2003
– Country: Germany

Angelique Kerber has won 14 WTA singles titles, including three majors, since going pro in 2003. The Bremen player also took home a silver medal for Germany in singles at the 2016 Olympics. The three-time Grand Slam champ announced her retirement in 2024.

#9. Aryna Sabalenka

– Career earnings: $36,023,711
– Turned professional: 2015
– Country: Belarus

Ranked #1 in women’s singles by the WTA in 2025, Aryna Sabalenka is renowned for her hard serves and aggressive play on the court. The Belarusian athlete has won three major titles (the 2023 Australian Open, 2024 Australian Open, and 2024 U.S. Open), as well as 20 WTA singles titles and six doubles titles.

Though her incredible success might make you believe otherwise, Sabalenka fell into tennis by accident. When she was just 6 years old, she and her father drove by a tennis court and the two decided to play on a whim—the rest is history!

#8. Iga Swiatek

– Career earnings: $36,372,498
– Turned professional: 2016
– Country: Poland

Polish player Iga Swiatek began winning professional tournaments in 2016 but didn’t become a household name until her triumph at the 2020 French Open, when she became the first Polish player to earn a major singles title. Two years later, in 2022, Swiatek had a stunning 37-match winning streak, which included titles at major events like the French Open and the Italian Open. She competed at the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024 and often advocates for mental health services for high-level athletes.

#7. Caroline Wozniacki

– Career earnings: $36,441,868
– Turned professional: 2005
– Country: Denmark

After 43 Grand Slam appearances, Caroline Wozniacki was crowned champion at the 2018 Australian Open, making her the first Danish player to win a Grand Slam title. Wozniacki retired in January 2020 but returned to the sport in 2023.

#6. Petra Kvitová

– Career earnings: $37,443,960
– Turned professional: 2006
– Country: Czech Republic

Since turning pro in 2006, Petra Kvitová has won 31 WTA singles titles, including two Wimbledon championships. She also represented the Czech Republic and won a bronze medal in singles at the 2016 Olympics.

#5. Victoria Azarenka

– Career earnings: $38,532,860
– Turned professional: 2003
– Country: Belarus

Victoria Azarenka has done a lot for her homeplace of Belarus. She was ranked #1 in the world for a combined 51 weeks, making her the first Belarusian player to top the WTA rankings. She is also the first Belarusian to win a Grand Slam title (she’s a two-time champion in both singles and doubles) and has two Olympic medals, taking home bronze in singles and gold in mixed doubles at the 2012 games.

#4. Maria Sharapova

– Career earnings: $38,777,962
– Turned professional: 2001
– Country: Russia

Maria Sharapova is one of only six women to complete a career Grand Slam (winning at least one title at each major tournament) in the Open Era, with five total championships. She is also the first Russian woman to reach #1 in the world rankings. Sharapova took home the silver medal in women’s singles at the 2012 Olympics before retiring in February 2020. As a businesswoman, Sharapova has appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank.

#3. Simona Halep

– Career earnings: $40,236,618
– Turned professional: 2006
– Country: Romania

Simona Halep has been ranked #1 in the world for 64 total weeks and won 24 WTA singles titles since going pro in 2006. After a career marked by significant ups and downs, including two Grand Slam wins and a contentious doping ban in 2024, Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis in February 2025.

#2. Venus Williams

– Career earnings: $42,648,578
– Turned professional: 1994
– Country: United States

Venus Williams is considered one of the all-time greatest sports figures. She reached #1 status on Feb. 25, 2002, becoming the first Black American woman to achieve the top spot in the Open Era. She has seven Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in singles; however, she and her younger sister, Serena Williams, have teamed up to become a truly unstoppable pair. Together, the Williams sisters have won 14 major titles and are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals. They also have won three Olympic gold medals as a duo.

#1. Serena Williams

– Career earnings: $94,816,730
– Turned professional: 1997
– Country: United States

Serena Williams’ career has been quite remarkable. In addition to her doubles success with sister Venus Williams, the 43-year-old player has 73 WTA singles titles, including 23 Grand Slams (the most in the Open Era). Between 2002 and 2003, she won all four majors, achieving a non-calendar Grand Slam and career Grand Slam. That dominance has translated into Serena earning more than double in her career than any other female tennis player. She has also earned more money than every male pro outside of the big three—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. After more than 20 years in the game, Serena announced her plans to “evolve away” from the sport in August 2022 and has since focused on business endeavors through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.

Additional writing by Madison Troyer. Story editing by Cu Fleshman. Copy editing by Paris Close.