NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 23: Venus Williams of the United States talks to the press ahead of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 23, 2025 in New York City (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
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Among the records, rankings and history on the line at the 2025 U.S. Open, the most stunning is that Iga Swiatek could surpass Venus Williams on the WTA Tour’s all-time career prize money list.
Swiatek, 24, only needs to reach the semifinals to become No. 2 on the career prize money list. Her ascension up the career-prize money list has more to do with pay equity than wins and losses. Heading into the U.S. Open, Swiatek’s record was 391-87. Venus’s record was 819-281 and that’s just in singles. Venus won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and two Major mixed-doubles titles.
Swiatek entered this year’s U.S. Open with $41 349,048 in career prize money. She earned $200,000 for reaching the finals in revamped mixed doubles and $154,000 for advancing to the second round. Swiatek is within striking distance of Venus, who received $110,000 for losing in the first round.
If Swiatek wins the U.S. Open, she takes home a record-breaking $5 million in prize money. The irony is that Swiatek has Venus to thank for the rise in pay for female tennis players. Venus played a significant role in promoting pay equity at all the Grand Slams.
“When I grew up, I respected more and more the work that all these generations before have done for us to be able to do our job and get the money we deserve. Right now, I’m aware. But I still need to study a little bit. I’m just grateful that they made this easier for us — Billie Jean King, Venus as well,” Swiatek said in 2023 in an interview with the New York Times.
“I don’t think any woman should have to worry about if they’re getting paid equal,” Venus told the New York Times. “I’m very happy that no woman again at a grand slam has to even concern herself with that.”
WTA Career Prize Money Leaders (August 25, 2025)
US player Serena Williams poses with the winner’s trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, after her women’s singles final victory over Germany’s Angelique Kerber on the thirteenth day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 9, 2016. (Photo by GLYN KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
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1. Williams, Serena $94,816,730
2. Williams, Venus $42,684,864
3. Swiatek, Iga $41,349,048
4. Halep, Simona $40,236,618
5. Sharapova, Maria $38,777,962
6. Azarenka, Victoria $38,637,495
7. Kvitova, Petra $37,543,615
8. Sabalenka, Aryna $37,240,242
9. Wozniacki, Caroline $36,441,868
10. Kerber, Aangelique $32,519,180
11. Radwanska, Agnieszka $27,683,807
12. Gauff, Coco $27,528,674
13. Svitolina, Elina $26,412,777
14. Plikova, Karolina $26,111,050
15. Kuznetsova, Svetlana $25,816,890
16. Muguruza, Garbine $24,813,892
17. Hingis, Martina $24,749,074
18. Clijsters, Kim $24,545,194
19. Barty, Ashleigh $23,829,070
20. Osaka, Naomi $23,227,530
The Myth Of Equal Prize Money In Tennis
TOPSHOT – Sloane Stephens of the US reacts with her winning cheque after defeating compatriot Madison Keys during their 2017 US Open Women’s Singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 9, 2017. Sloane Stephens, sidelined for 11 months by a left foot injury until returning in July, captured her first Grand Slam title by routing fellow American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in Saturday’s US Open final. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)
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Despite the increases in prize money, women still trail their male counterparts. The WTA has committed to equaling the pay between men and women at most tournaments by 2033.
Meanwhile, outside of the Majors, equal prize money is a myth. Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev have already eclipsed Venus in career prize money. Zverev, who has never won a Major, has made about $12 million more in prize money than seven-time Grand Slam winner and tennis icon Venus.
Tennis players are paid based on revenue and venue, rather than the time spent on the court. Most ATP tournaments are best-of-three sets. At the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz won $1,124,380 in less than one set when Sinner retired down 0-5. Meanwhile, Swiatek received $752,275 after defeating Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4: same venue, but nearly half the prize money.
Novak Djokovic is the ATP Tour leader in career prize money. His $188,934,053 in career earnings is more than Serena and Venus earned, combined, despite playing doubles. No WTA player has broken the $100 million mark. Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have.
Although Zverev, Alcaraz, Sinner, and Medvedev have made more than Venus, they are years away from passing Federer or Nadal.
Today’s WTA players are earning significantly more than their predecessors. Players just starting their careers have accumulated more prize money than many female Hall of Famers.
Coco Gauff, 21, is already No. 12 on the career prize money list, ahead of legends Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. Gauff is the highest-paid female tennis player, when you throw in her endorsement deals.
Pete Sampras is still in the Top 10 among ATP career prize money earners. No woman who played in Sampras’ era is among the WTA Top 10 career prize money leaders.
Hall of Famer Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, winner of four Major tournaments, is No. 34, behind Elise Mertens, whose best showing at a Major was in the semis at the 2018 Australian Open.
If Mirra Andreeva, 18, wins the U.S. Open, she will catapult over her coach, Conchita Martinez ($11, 527,976), also in the Hall of Fame.
ATP Career Prize Money Leaders
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning the 2023 Australian Open, on January 30, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
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1. Djokovic, Novak $188,934,053
2. Nadal, Rafael $134,946,100
3. Federer, Roger $130,594,339
4. Murray, Andy $64,687,542
5. Zverev, Alexander $54,455,659
6. Alcaraz, Carlos $48,486,628
7. Medvedev, Daniil $46,936,309
8. Sinner, Jannik $46,279,987
9. Sampras, Pete $43,280,489
10. Wawrinka, Stan $37,645,388
11. Tsitsipas, Stefanos $34,990,031
12. Cilic, Marin $32,194,103
13. Ferrer, David $31,483,911
14. Agassi, Andre $31,152,975
15 Dimitrov, Grigor $30,385,342
16. Thiem, Dominic $30,381,559
17. Rublev, Andrey $29,935,883
18. Berdych, Tomas $29,491,328
19. Fritz, Taylor $26,146,981
20. Nishikori, Kei $25,997,545
DOHA, QATAR – FEBRUARY 26: Iga Swiatek of Poland receives the prize money check after defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the final of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on February 26, 2022 in Doha, Qatar (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
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Yesterday, Venus entered the U.S. Open doubles with Leylah Fernandez. If they win the title and Swiatek loses in the third or fourth round, Venus might maintain her spot at No. 2. However, it’s only a matter of time before Swiatek moves ahead of Venus and maybe pass Serena and become the first female tennis player to earn $100 million in prize money.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/merlisalawrencecorbett/2025/08/27/us-open-2025-iga-swiatek-set-to-pass-venus-on-career-prize-money-list/