Naomi Osaka Is Highest-Paid Female Athlete Ever, Displaces Serena Williams - Forbes

Japanese tennis athlete, Naomi Osaka has beaten her US legendary rival Serena William for bragging rights as she becomes the highest-paid female athlete in the world.

According to Forbes Magazine, Osaka made whopping earnings of $37.4 million from prize money and endorsements within the last 12 months, $1.4 million above the amount earned by US Serena Williams, setting an all-time record earnings record for a female athlete within a year.

The 22-year-old Naomi, was only a year old when 38 -year-old Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam title in 1999. 19 years later, Naomi beat Williams at the U.S. Open final to win her first Grand Slam, an award Williams has won 23 times.

The American business magazine also disclosed that Maria Sharapova held the position when she earned a record $29.7 million in 2015. Sharapova was only 17 when she defeated Williams to win the 2004 Wimbledon crown. 

IMG quickly gave the Russian a lucrative long-term deals, following her emergence as the highest-paid female athlete at the time, a position she held for 11 years before injuries and a suspension for taking a banned substance dented her earnings.

Naomi Osaka now ranks No. 29 in the 100 highest-paid athletes list while Williams is No. 33, with the full list expected to be released next week.

Naomi's emergence has put an end to William's decisive winning streak, a position she held for the past four years.  Before Naomi Osaka arrived on the scene, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams were the top-earning women of the decade, holding the top spot for five and four years, respectively.

Naomi Osaka was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Haitian-American father. She and her family moved to the U.S. when she was 3. She held dual citizenship but decided to choose Japan over the US and will be representing Japan in Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics.

A decision which has given her more recognition and endorsement deals from Olympic sponsors, like Procter & Gamble, All Nippon Airways, and Nissin, as she is expected to be one of the faces of the Olympics.