Badminton sensation PV Sindhu has secured a noteworthy position on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid women athletes in 2023, sharing the 16th spot with gymnast Simone Biles, both accumulating earnings of $7.1 million.
In the previous year, Sindhu held the 12th position with the same earnings, and the list was topped by Japanese tennis sensation Naomi Osaka. Sindhu had made a significant leap into the top 10 in the 2018 list, securing the 7th spot with earnings totaling $8.5 million.
The 11th-ranked Sindhu faced a challenging start to the season with three consecutive opening-round exits on the BWF World Tour. By July, she slipped to the 17th position, marking her lowest ranking in a decade after falling out of the Top 10 in March. Despite the setbacks, she showcased resilience by reaching the runner-up position at the Madrid Spain Masters, where she defeated Mia Blichfeldt and Yeo Jia Min before ultimately losing to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the final.
Sindhu’s fortunes turned around at the Arctic Open, reaching the semifinals, a feat she repeated the following week at the Denmark Open, leading to an improvement in her ranking.
Returning to the Forbes list, it is currently topped by Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, valued at $23.9 million, who clinched victory at the French Open and finished the year as the No.1 ranked player in the world. Freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu from China follows closely with a value of $22.1 million. Tennis player Coco Gauff secures the 3rd position with $21.7 million.
Other notable athletes in the top 10 include Emma Raducanu from the UK ($15.2 million), Naomi Osaka from Japan ($15 million), Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus ($14.7 million), Jessica Pegula from the US ($12.5 million), Venus Williams from the US ($12.2 million), Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan ($9.5 million), and Leylah Fernandez from Canada ($8.8 million).
While tennis dominates the top positions, golf and football contribute two athletes each, while badminton, basketball, gymnastics, and freestyle diving have a sole representative in the elite list.
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