Ana Ivanovic is an athlete with a unique backstory. She grew up in what was, at the time, war-torn Yugoslavia and took up an interest in tennis after watching fellow Yugoslavian Monica Seles on the court. Despite the challenges facing her country during this time, she remained dedicated to her tennis training.
Her focus on her training paid off as Ivanovic eventually made it to a major tournament, winning the French Open in 2008 and being ranked number one in the same year. She accumulated over $15 million in prize money from 2003 up until her retirement in 2016. Ivanovic is now worth around $16 million.
Naomi Osaka – $25 Million
Half Haitian, Half Japanese, tennis star Naomi Osaka, represents Japan even though she lives in the U.S. At the tender age of 22, Osaka is thought to be one of the most marketable female athletes in the world. This is thanks to both her congenial personality and her exceptional talent on the courts.
Osaka won the US Open in 2018, the Australian Open in 2019, and the US Open in 2020. The tennis pro currently ranks third and her net worth is estimated to be $25 million. In 2020, she is the highest-paid female athlete.
Cris “Cyborg” Justino – $5 Million
Brazilian Cris “Cyborg” Justino has created a legacy for herself in the MMA world. During Justino’s career (which has preceded famous names like Rhonda Rousey) she has retained her championship belts for much longer.
In fact, Justino proves she has what it takes to rise to the top as she’s the only fighter to ever be the champion of the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and Invicta. She was only toppled from her career-high (undefeated from 2005 to 2018) when Amanda Nunes won the championship belt.
Martina Navratilova – $15 Million
Czech player Martina Navratilova shares the high accomplishments of her peers, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf, with whom she has competed against in the past. She has winnings of over $21 million from her enduring career. In fact, at the time of her retirement after winning the mixed doubles at the US Open, she was 49 years old!
If she did not prove her abilities and passion for tennis as a professional athlete, the great Billie Jean King dismissed all doubt with her personal endorsement of Navratilova. King said that Navratilova was “the greatest singles, doubles, and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived.” All of her monetary success aside, that is the best accolade of all.
Allyson Felix – $8 Million
Allyson Felix is set apart as the only female track and field star to have six gold medals. Presently, Felix is tied with Merlene Ottey for the most Olympic medals overall (as they both currently hold nine).
Unfortunately, running by itself is not known to be incredibly lucrative. Felix has been fortunate enough to land quite a few endorsement deals which helped her achieve her $8 million net worth.