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.
Ana Ivanovic – $16 Million
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.
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.
Jelena Jankovic – $15 Million
Jelena Janković is another recognizable face in the world of women’s tennis. Janković was the first player to hold a number one ranking without having won a major singles tournament. Though she only held the ranking for a week, she did go on to win mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2007 and continued to rank higher on the list as her career progressed.
Janković has not officially retired but has taken an extended break from tennis since her back surgery in 2017. From her career earnings, she has obtained nearly $20 million in prize money (along with endorsements from Fila and Adidas) which contributes to her total net worth of $15 million.
Inbee Park – $9 Million
Inbee Park is a powerhouse in the pro golfing world. The South Korean golfer has spent the last decade making a name for herself in the sport, with her first major win in the U.S. Women’s Open at age 19. From there, she went on to win seven major championships and earned over $15 million in prize money.
Since the beginning of her professional career in 2007 till now, Park has accumulated a net worth of $9 million from all of her competitions and endorsement deals.