How Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete of the year with only 14 wins: A look into the Japanese star's finances
In a year that was arguably her most difficult on the WTA tour so far, Naomi Osaka continued her supremacy off the court as she was ranked the world's highest-paid female athlete for the third consecutive year. No female athlete even came close to the Japanese tennis superstar's total earnings of $51.1 million in 2022, with American tennis legend Serena Williams settling for the second spot with $41.3 million in total earnings this year.
Out of Osaka's $51.1 million, only $1.1 million came in the form of on-court earnings, courtesy of a mere 14 wins throughout the season. Of those $1.1 million, Osaka earned $646,110 through just one tournament as she made a run to the 2022 Miami Open, which is also her only WTA final since she won the 2021 Australian Open.
This breakdown of her total earnings also highlights her staggering off-court financial success, worth $50 million in a single year, much more than any other female athlete in the world, let alone her fellow tennis players.
So what has contributed to Naomi Osaka's phenomenal financial success for yet another year?
The 25-year-old has endorsement and sponsorship deals with some of the biggest brands in the world across domains. Her biggest partners include sports apparel giant Nike, which has been with her since 2019, racquet manufacturer Yonex, leading fashion brands Louis Vuitton and Levi's, and watch brand Tag Heuer. Osaka also endorses other big brands such as Mastercard, Modern Health, Beats, Godaddy, Morinaga, and Panasonic.
Back in 2020, when Osaka became the world's highest-paid female athlete for the first time ever, she earned $34 million in endorsements and off-court earnings. Within just two years, that number has gone up by almost 50% to $50 million, further highlighting the growth of Naomi Osaka as a brand. Earlier this year, the four-time Grand Slam champion was also ranked the 6th most marketable athlete in the world.
Along with her endorsement associations, Osaka also holds business investments in multiple brands, that further contributed to her off-court earnings. These include sports drink company BodyArmor, sports technology companies Hyperice and StatusPRO, healthy restaurant chain Sweetgreen and healthy food startup Daring Foods, as well as the Athletic Brewing company.
Meanwhile, Osaka is also the founder of Evolve, a sports management agency that she founded in collaboration with her long-time agent Stuart Duguid.
Naomi Osaka has further upped her business game by investing in other sports
Naomi Osaka's business investments are not only restricted to brands and companies, but the Japanese tennis superstar has already shown a high level of interest in having ownership stakes in sports teams. Last year, Osaka made a big investment in National Women's Soccer League side North Carolina Courage, becoming the team's co-owner.
As recently as earlier this week, she also announced her ownership stake in Miami Pickleball Club, or Miami PC, a new Major League Pickleball (MLP) team that will make its debut in the 2023 season. Osaka's co-owners at Miami PC include fellow tennis star Nick Kyrgios and NFL great Patrick Mahomes.
More investment in sports teams could be the next big strategic move for 'brand Osaka' as she is only expected to go from strength to strength in terms of financial success off the court. Announcing her collaboration with Miami PC this week, the Japanese player expressed her excitement at engaging in another sport.
"So cool to engage in another sport and excited it’s in the 305," Naomi Osaka wrote on Instagram.