Global Fourth! China's Second! Tennis Queen Zheng Qinwen Really "Earned Big" This Year!

Tennis, compared to other sports, is considered a relatively niche athletic activity. Many viewers became interested in the sport only after the emergence of Chinese player Li Na. After Li Na's retirement, the sport was once again relegated to obscurity by audiences. It wasn't until recent years that a group of outstanding Chinese tennis athletes appeared, causing the sport to regain public attention. The primary contributor to this phenomenon is none other than tennis queen Zheng Qinwen. Zheng Qinwen's peak moment was undoubtedly winning the Olympic women's singles championship, which also made her China's first-ever Olympic women's singles champion. The value of this gold medal speaks for itself. Not only did it introduce more people to Zheng Qinwen, but it also elevated her sporting career to new heights, achieving both fame and fortune. As we all know, the income sources for athletes extend beyond competition winnings; brand endorsements constitute the bulk of their earnings. According to the 2024 Forbes Global Female Athlete Income Rankings, Zheng Qinwen ranks fourth globally with $20.6 m i l l i o n, a l s o m a k i n g h e r t h e s e c o n d - h i g h e s t e a r n i n g f e m a l e a t h l e t e i n C h i n a . T h e t o p e a r n e r i s s k i e r E i l e e n G u, w h o m a k e s$ 20.6million,alsomakingherthesecond−highestearningfemaleathleteinChina.ThetopearnerisskierEileenGu,whomakes22.1 million annually, ranking third on the Forbes list. Although the two only differ by $1.5 m i l l i o n, t h e r e a r e s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s i n t h e i r f i n a n c i a l s t r u c t u r e s . O v e r t h e p a s t y e a r, Z h e n g Q i n w e n e a r n e d$ 1.5million,therearesignificantdifferencesintheirfinancialstructures.Overthepastyear,ZhengQinwenearned5.6 million in competition winnings and $15 m i l l i o n f r o m o f f - c o u r t e n d o r s e m e n t s . I n c o n t r a s t, E i l e e n G u^{'} s c o m p e t i t i o n w i n n i n g s w e r e o n l y$ 15millionfromoff−courtendorsements.Incontrast,EileenGu′scompetitionwinningswereonly100,000, while her off-court brand endorsements soared to $22 m i l l i o n, s e c o n d o n l y t o t h e w o r l d^{'} s t o p - r a n k e d t e n n i s p l a y e r, G a u f f, a t$ 22million,secondonlytotheworld′stop−rankedtennisplayer,Gauff,at25 million. Here are the top four athletes ranked by income: 1. Gauff, Tennis, 20 years old, $34.4 m i l l i o n (C o m p e t i t i o n w i n n i n g s :$ 34.4million(Competitionwinnings:9.4 million. Off-court endorsement fees: $25 m i l l i o n) 2. S w i a t e k, T e n n i s, 23 y e a r s o l d,$ 25million)2.Swiatek,Tennis,23yearsold,23.8 million (Competition winnings: $8.8 m i l l i o n . O f f - c o u r t e n d o r s e m e n t f e e s :$ 8.8million.Off−courtendorsementfees:15 million) 3. Eileen Gu, Skiing, 21 years old, $22.1 m i l l i o n (C o m p e t i t i o n w i n n i n g s :$ 22.1million(Competitionwinnings:100,000. Off-court endorsement fees: $22 m i l l i o n) 4. Z h e n g Q i n w e n, T e n n i s, 22 y e a r s o l d,$ 22million)4.ZhengQinwen,Tennis,22yearsold,20.6 million (Competition winnings: $5.6 m i l l i o n . O f f - c o u r t e n d o r s e m e n t f e e s :$ 5.6million.Off−courtendorsementfees:15 million) It's clear that among the top four high-income sports, tennis accounts for three spots, demonstrating the immense commercial value of the sport. In subsequent rankings, tennis is the most frequently mentioned sport, followed by golf. Zheng Qinwen has truly "earned big" this year, not only in terms of income but also as she was named the most popular female tennis player by the Women's Tennis Association in 2024. This year, her achievements have been numerous. A few days ago, Zheng Qinwen announced her withdrawal from the United Cup Tennis Open scheduled for December 27th. She stated that she wanted to take some time off and prepare for the Australian Open in January 2025. Despite choosing to withdraw from the competition, most viewers still chose to understand, recognizing that everyone has their own considerations when planning and choosing their career paths. We also hope that she will continue to achieve better results in major competitions.