Forbes list: PV Sindhu at par with Simone Biles, in 16th spot among top earners

The current year may have seen double Olympics medallist P.V. Sindhu endure her worst form in recent years, but it did not reflect on her overall earnings. The Forbes list of highest-paid women athletes of 2023 saw the badminton star finishing at par with US gymnastics icon Simone Biles—in 16th position, with $7.1 million in earnings.     

Last year, Sindhu was placed 12th with her $7.1 million earnings, in a list that was led by Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka. Sindhu had broken into the top 10 in the 2018 list with $8.5 million, which placed her at seventh. 

Beginning the year as world No.11 this year, Sindhu slumped to three opening-round exits on the BWF World Tour. In July, she had slipped to 17th place, her lowest ranking in a decade, after dropping out of the Top 10.  

Still, Sindhu was runner-up at the Madrid Spain Masters, where she beat Mia Blichfeldt and Yeo Jia Min, before falling to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the final. She finally turned herself around at the Arctic Open by making it to the semi-finals, a feat she repeated the following week at the Denmark Open, which improved her ranking. 

Meanwhile, this year's Forbes list is being headed by Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, who is valued at $23.9 million. She won the French Open and ended the year as the No.1 ranked player in the world.   

She is followed by freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu from China, whose value is $22.1 million. Tennis player Coco Gauff comes in at 3rd place, with $21.7 million, while UK’s Emma Raducanu ($15.2 million), Japan’s Naomi Osaka ($15 million), Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka ($14.7 million), US’ Jessica Pegula ($12.5 million) and the indefatigable Venus Williams ($12.2 million), Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina ($9.5 million) and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez ($8.8 million) close out the top 10.