Zheng Qinwen may not have collected as much in tournament prize money this year, but the Chinese tennis star bagged a staggering $19 million through sponsorship and endorsement deals.
This week, Sportico revealed its annual list of the highest-paid female athletes. There are four tennis players among the first five on the list. Coco Gauff owns the throne with $31 million earned, Aryna Sabalenka comes in second with $30 million netted, Iga Swiatek is third with $23.1 million, while the fourth spot was occupied by freestyle skier Eileen Gu.
This season, Zheng - who was limited to just 12 tournaments due to injury issues - earned $1.6 million in tournament prize money. But the real money she made by her off-court endeavors.
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Zheng - who is not only the biggest name in Chinese tennis but also in the whole Asia - has lucrative deals with some of the most prestigious and luxurious brands in the world as her sponsorship and endorsement portfolio includes Rolex, Dior, Nike, Gatorade, Wilson, Audi, McDonald's, Lancome, Beats by Dre, and Vivo. The 23-year-old also has deals with two Chinese companies - Ant Group and Tencent Holdings.
Zheng didn't get to play much in Asia this year
After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right elbow in July, Zheng missed the entire North American hard-court swing, including the US Open. The 2024 Australian Open finalist attempted to return to action in Beijing, where she retired to Linda Noskova in the third round.
The Chinese former world No. 4 then pulled out of Wuhan and Ningbo.
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Since last year's Wuhan Open final, I've been looking forward to returning to my hometown and playing my best tennis in front of you all. Unfortunately, my body hasn't fully recovered to its best shape. After consulting doctors and discussing with my team, I sadly have to withdraw from this year's Wuhan Open. Zheng said when announcing her Wuhan withdrawal.
