“I feel like she just got a lot better in everything,” said Coco Gauff after Aryna Sabalenka handed her a tough defeat in the Madrid Open finals. The pair were facing off for the 10th time in their careers, and Sabalenka’s win brought the head-to-head to a tense 5-all tie. The rivalry has been fierce, and tennis fans are waiting for the next thrilling chapter. However, they’re making headlines not just for their performance but also for their bank accounts. And in the money game, it seems Sabalenka is stepping ahead.
Coco Gauff had a blockbuster year in 2024. For the second straight year, she was named the world’s highest-paid female athlete. She took home an estimated $30.4 million in total earnings, with $9.4 million from prize money and $21 million from big-name endorsements. On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka finished 2024 in the fifth spot with $17.7 million in total earnings. She raked in $9.7 million in prize money and $8 million from endorsements. Though she trailed behind in overall earnings, her prize money earnings were still higher than Gauff’s.
And that seems to be the case in 2025 so far, too. Heading into the French Open, women filled six of the top ten spots in the prize money rankings. Sabalenka led the charge, sitting at the top with $4.54 million in tournament winnings. It’s not surprising given the year she’s had. Sabalenka has already bagged three titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid, more than any other player so far, male or female. The World No.1 has also reached six finals this season, including the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and the Stuttgart Open.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff is in sixth place with $2.79 million in prize money. Her only title this year came at the United Cup with Team USA right at the start of the season. Since then, she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where Paula Badosa beat her in straight sets. During the clay season, Gauff picked up steam. She made it to the finals of both the Stuttgart Open and the Italian Open. Still, she’s trailing Sabalenka and a few others in the prize money race.
Mirra Andreeva is sitting in fourth place with $2.94 million, thanks to her wins in Dubai and Indian Wells. Madison Keys takes the third spot with $3.04 million, boosted by a huge $2.2 million payday for winning the Australian Open.
But there could be a twist in the tale. If Gauff can go all the way in Paris, she’ll take home $2.89 million just from the French Open alone. And with her already through to the fourth round, that possibility is still very real.
Coco Gauff survives tough battle to move to the fourth round at Roland Garros
Coco Gauff had to dig deep in her third-round match on Saturday. She came out swinging, grabbing 12 of the first 15 points to take a 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes. The first set was a breeze. But things got complicated after that. The American starlet was just two points away from losing the second set but managed to pull herself together and clinch a 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over Marie Bouzkova. That puts her in Week 2 at Roland-Garros for the fifth year in a row.
“Obviously,” Gauff said after the match, “I can do some things better. I served a bit more aggressive in the first set, so I was holding easier, and maybe got a little bit too passive on the serve in the second, and it allowed her to get back into the match. Just keeping the aggressive mindset is something that I can do better for the next match.”
The 21-year-old from Florida is the No. 2 seed in Paris this year and was the runner-up here back in 2022. Next up, she’ll face No. 20 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.
On the other side, Aryna Sabalenka continued her smooth run. She beat Serbia’s Olga Danilovic to move into the fourth round. Up next for her is a Sunday showdown against Amanda Anisimova. Will these two meet in the French Open final to break their head-to-head tie? What do you think?
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