By TennisUpToDate.com

Copyright yardbarker

A week after the US Open final, the WTA Prize Money Leaders list has been updated, with Aryna Sabalenka holding a commanding lead. The $5 million she earned for her historic US Open title win—a record payout for a single event—has propelled her to the top of the list with a total of $12.1 million this season.

Trailing far behind is Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, with $9 million in earnings this season. The Pole’s consistency this year (53-13 record) and her Cincinnati Open WTA 1000 title have kept her well ahead of the field. Her deep runs in nearly every tournament, including a quarterfinal appearance at the US Open and a mixed doubles final, were key to her reaching the $9 million mark.

Third place goes to Coco Gauff ($6.3 million), who won the French Open and reached finals at the Madrid and Rome WTA 1000 events. The top player of the clay-court swing also had strong performances on hard courts, with a quarterfinal appearance in Cincinnati and a Round of 16 finish at the US Open and Canadian Open.

It should be no surprise that the top four is rounded out by 24-year-old American Amanda Anisimova, who made back-to-back Grand Slam finals—finishing as a runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Her WTA 1000 title at the Doha Open also contributed to her earnings, with the bulk of her prize money coming from those three major tournaments.

Andreeva and Paolini boost earnings with doubles success

While four players have already surpassed $5 million in earnings this season—compared to only two on the ATP Tour (Alcaraz and Sinner) —three other players have passed the $4 million mark. They include 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, with a notable $4.5 million in earnings this season, though only $3.8 million of that is from singles. The WTA 1000 Dubai and Indian Wells champion has benefited from a successful doubles partnership with Diana Shnaider, which has earned her more than $600K.

Another player who has used a strong doubles campaign to boost her prize money is Jasmine Paolini, who is sixth in the prize money rankings (but eighth in singles). The Rome Open champion has formed one of the best doubles teams of the year with her compatriot Sara Errani, earning more than $850K and a total of $4.15 million. She is just ahead of Australian Open champion Madison Keys ($4.07M), who has remained at the top thanks to her title in the year’s first major ($2.3 million).

Osaka climbs the rankings with strong American hard-court swing

The rest of the top 10 includes other consistent players of the season, with Jessica Pegula climbing to eighth place ($3.5M). She has a solid lead over Elena Rybakina ($2.85M) and Naomi Osaka ($2.45M). The Japanese star has moved up the earnings list after a great last month, in which she reached the final of the Canadian Open and the semifinals of the US Open—a total of $1.7 million from those two tournaments alone.

Gender pay gap shrinking in tennis

It’s no surprise that the WTA offers some of the best prize money in women’s sports. The equal prize money at Grand Slams has undoubtedly been a significant step forward, allowing more female players to earn prize money that is closer to that of their male counterparts.

A total of 55 women have earned over $1 million so far this season, which is not far behind the 62 men who have reached that mark. Additionally, 16 women have now surpassed $2 million in earnings, compared to 22 men who have done so at this point in the year.