In the realm of sports earnings, Indian badminton sensation PV Sindhu has maintained her position among the world’s elite, securing the 16th spot in Forbes’ prestigious Highest-Paid Female Athletes List for the year 2023.
Renowned for her two Olympic medals, PV Sindhu continues to be a household name in India. Despite a disastrous 2023 season, her earnings from various deals contributed to her earning a total of USD 7.1 million, according to Forbes. This remarkable feat makes her the sole Indian representative in the top 20 of the esteemed list.
The accomplished Indian badminton player, has faced adversity since a stress fracture during the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Delayed in her return to the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals, she resumed at the 2023 Malaysia Open, suffering setbacks against Carolina Marin, Supanida Katethong, and Gao Fangjie.
These challenges prompted Sindhu to part ways with coach Park Tae-Sang. Despite struggles at the All England Open and exits in Thailand and Singapore, PV Sindhu, known for comebacks, remains poised for resurgence, offering hope to her supporters in upcoming season.
Notably, PV Sindhu has won no titles in 2023.
Despite being relatively unknown in the U.S., PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and the 2019 badminton world champion, has secured a prominent position in the women’s earnings ranking. Her marketing acumen in India has played a pivotal role in her success. In the current year, Sindhu expanded her partnerships, joining forces with Centuary Mattress and the American Pistachio Growers.
PV Sindhu: Dip in ranking
Although PV Sindhu retained her earning status from the previous year, the Forbes list reflects a slight dip in her ranking, moving from 12th in 2022 to the 16th position in 2023. Despite this shift, she stands tall as the lone Indian badminton player and the only shuttler in the top 20 of female athletes recognized by the American business magazine.
In a changing landscape of women’s sports earnings, Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek emerged as the new No. 1 on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes for 2023. With a staggering estimated income of $23.9 million before taxes and agents’ fees, Swiatek’s remarkable year is marked by her French Open victory in women’s singles and the addition of four new endorsement deals.
The transition at the top comes as tennis continues to dominate the rankings, with 12 of the top 20 highest-paid female athletes and nine of the top 10 hailing from the sport. Notable stars like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Maria Sharapova have previously claimed the crown, showcasing the sport’s ability to provide substantial prize money and lucrative marketing opportunities for women athletes.
While golf and soccer each have two representatives in the top 20, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, and freestyle skiing contribute one athlete each. The collective earnings of the 20 highest-paid women in 2023 reached an estimated $226 million, marking a 13% decrease from the previous year’s $258 million. However, the decline is largely attributed to the absence of Serena Williams, who earned $41.3 million in the previous year, and Osaka’s reduced earnings of $15 million from $51.1 million in 2022 during her extended break from competition.
Coming back to PV Sindhu, her financial success places her ahead of Olympic gold medallists and world champions in badminton, such as Chen Yufei, Akane Yamaguchi, and Carolina Marin. The Indian badminton stalwart continues to make her mark globally, not only on the court but also as a prominent figure in the realm of sports earnings.
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