PV Sindhu has set a new standard for herself outside of badminton. She has broken records and made history on the court. Forbes makes a list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world every year. PV Sindhu is the only Indian in the top 25. Sindhu came in at number 12 on a list that Naomi Osaka, a tennis star from Japan, topped. In 2016, she won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old won gold in singles and silver in doubles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which earned her $7.1 million. Seven million of that total didn’t come from tennis at all.
In 2022, Sindhu had an excellent year until early August. She had to withdraw from all tournaments, including the World Championships. The reason was a stress fracture in her ankle. Starting the year off well, the world’s sixth-ranked player won the Syed Modi India International in Lucknow. This was her first tournament victory in 29 months. In
March, she took first place at the Swiss Open in Basel. She clinched her third victory of the year at the Singapore Open in July. Then, in August, she completed her collection of medals from the every-four-year Commonwealth Games by winning a historic gold medal in Birmingham. She earned a third bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Manila in April and May. Despite not playing for over five months of the year, Sindhu remained in the top 8 of the global rankings the entire time.
With a total of $7.1 million from BWF World Tour events and endorsement deals, Sindhu is ranked 12th, only below basketball player Candace Parker. She had previously been the world champion and won two Olympic medals. PV Sindhu won both the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Singapore Open Super 500. Therefore she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in either competition. Forbes considered not only on-court earnings (such as salary, bonuses, stipends, and prize money) but also off-court earnings (such as those from sponsorships and endorsement deals). The sum of money they raked in through advertising deals stood out.
Tennis players dominate the highest-paid list, accounting for 12 of the 25 sportsmen included. Number 42 in the world, Naomi Osaka earned $51.1 million in a single year.
Second place went to Serena Williams with $41.3 million, and third place went to freestyle skier Eileen Gu with $20.1 million. Even though he has won the French Open and the US Open, Iga Swiatek, the current world number one, only makes the list at number six. It was also evident that an athlete’s performance on the court has minimal impact on his or her pay. The rankings were based on the worth of their brand.
Only gymnast Simone Biles ($10 million), skier Eileen Gu ($7 million), golfer Minjee Lee ($7.3 million), and basketball star Candace Parker ($7.2 million) are among the top 12 highest-paid female athletes in the world outside of tennis. Both American football players Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are in the 19th position with earnings of $5.7 million.
