Forbes magazine said in a list published on Thursday that the Japanese Naomi Osaka, who has won four major titles in tennis and contributed to raising awareness of mental health issues in sports, is the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Osaka has earned $57.3 million in prize money, sponsorships and commercial agreements over the past year, almost all of which came from contracts with 10 brands over the last 18 months.
The world magazine published a year after Osaka withdrew from the French Open in order to focus on her mental health, amid a public row over the mandatory press conferences at the major tournament, saying that these conferences significantly affected her mental health.
American tennis player Serena Williams also ranked second on the list, having earned 45.9 million dollars, and her older sister Venus came in third place, after collecting 11.3 million dollars.
American gymnast Simone Biles ($10.1 million) and Spanish tennis player Garbine Muguruza ($8.8 million) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.