The top 9 all-time WTA career prize money earners: Will Iga Swiatek challenge Serena Williams’ No 1 spot?

22-time Grand Slam winner Williams has a mammoth advantage over her WTA rivals in terms of career earnings from her playing days as she earned more than double what her closest challenger, sister Venus, earned.

Six active players feature in the top 9 in terms of all-time career income from tennis and there is no doubt that Swiatek will feature closer to the frontrunners – or even end up top – if she continues to dominate women’s tennis for a few more years.

Top 9 all-time WTA career-prize money earners:
9. Iga Swiatek – $32,106,991
Four-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek moved past compatriot Agnieszka Radwanska ($27,683,807) on the list on the back of her big paydays at the 2024 Madrid Open and Italian Open.

The Pole has already earned more than $6m in 2024 as she collected $2.5m with her French Open title run while more than $2m came from her three WTA 1000 titles in Qatar, Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome.

Swiatek’s best seasons in terms of prize money came in 2022 when she earned $9,875,525 and she followed it up with $9,857,686 in 2023.

8. Angelique Kerber – $32,519,180
Former world No 1 Angelique Kerber is a three-time Grand Slam winner with two of those titles coming during the 2016 season so unsurprisingly that was also her best year for earnings.

The German collected $10,136,615 in 2016 and she is one of only three players to pass the $10m mark during a single season. That $10,136,615 is also fourth in the all-time list for the best single season for earnings on the WTA Tour.

Kerber retired from tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

7. Caroline Wozniacki – 36,116,868
Caroline Wozniacki could still move up a couple of places on the list after she came out of retirement in 2023, but she will most likely need to win several tournaments.

The Dane passed the $6m mark milestone for a single season only once and that came in 2018 – the year she won the Australian Open – as she collected $6,657,719. She also earned more than $4m in a single season three times during her career.

6. Petra Kvitova – $37,252,032
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova is the only player in the top 9 who hasn’t been world No 1 with her best ranking No 2, which she first achieved in 2011.

The 2011 season also proved to be her best year for earnings as she collected $5,145,943 on the back of winning Wimbledon, the WTA Finals and four other WTA titles.