Meet highest-paid female athlete in India, it’s not Manu Bhaker, Vinesh Phogat, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal

New Delhi: Despite cricket’s overwhelming popularity in India, the country’s highest-paid female athlete isn’t a cricketer but an Olympic medalist. With a net worth of $7.1 million (approximately ₹59 crore), she secured the 16th spot on Forbes’ 2023 list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes. If you’re thinking of names like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, or Mary Kom, you’d be mistaken. Scroll down to discover who it is.

The highest-paid female athlete in India comes in the name of P.V. Sindhu, who emerged from Hyderabad as a badminton star, winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 22. Sindhu has received various prestigious rewards-including Padma Shri 2016, Padma Bhushan 2020, Arjuna Award, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna-for her tremendous contributions to the sport over the last decade.

P.V. Sindhu has consistently ranked among Forbes’ Highest-Paid Female Athletes, appearing in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Her earnings were $8.5 million (approx. Rs 70 crore) in 2018, $5.5 million (approx. Rs 45 crore) in 2019, $7.2 million (approx. Rs 59.8 crore) in 2021, and $7.1 million (approx. Rs 59 crore) in both 2022 and 2023. This remarkable feat underscores her prominence in the world of sports and beyond.

For P.V. Sindhu, the silver medal she had won at the 2016 Rio Olympics turned out to be a springboard for gathering a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and she became the first Indian woman to get two Olympic medals. Success on court fetched Sindhu all brand associations from Bank of Baroda, Li-Ning, Spinny, Asian Paints, Bridgestone, Johnson & Johnson, and L’Oréal. Apart from this athletic career, the 28-year-old earns a handsome amount through endorsement and social media promotions and has invested in real estate, where some of them are houses on a hill in Hyderabad and luxury vehicles.