Aryna Sabalenka leads Emma Raducanu at the top of the WTA prize money rankings by over £8million as the end of this season approaches. The world number one tops the list with £9.2million in total, as of 13 October, with the Briton down at 33rd place on around £1.1million.
Sabalenka has a lead of over £2million on second-place Iga Swiatek (£7million), and there is also a similarly large gap between her and Coco Gauff (£5.4million) in third. Amanda Anisimova is in distant fourth place with £4.6 million, and then there is a group of four players with between £3 million and £4 million; they are Jasmine Paolini (£3.54million), Mirraa Andreeva (£3.46million), Jessica Pegula (£3.14million) and Madison Keys (£3.04million).
Raducanu is the only Brit to break £1m, with Sonay Kartal the closest at approaching £850,000 in 51st place. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a much better season with fewer injury problems but her bank balance is still a far cry from Sabalenka – who had to dig deep to beat her at Wimbledon earlier this year – and the other top players when it comes to prize money earned.
Katie Boulter, meanwhile,is the only other player to rank inside the top 100, at 70th, with just under £700,000. It is roles reversed from last year, when Boulter led the Brits at 45th with just over £900,000. Raducanu was down at 88th, one position above Harriet Dart, after both made the best part of half a million pounds.
Dart is currently ranked 129th this year, with approximately £300,000 in winnings. Olivia Nicholls (114th on almost £370,000) and Jodie Burrage (120th with just over £350,000) are the two Brits between Dart and Boulter so far this year.
Returning to the top of the rankings, Sabalenka has already exceeded the £7.3million last year. She is also on course to earn the most in one single season ever.
Serena Williams holds that record after her exploits in 2013. However, that £9.244million mark is well within sight for Sabalenka on £9.19million.
She is likely to do so during next month’s WTA Finals. Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Anisimova, Pegula and Keys have already qualified, to be joined by two of Andreeva, Paolini and Elena Rybakina.