Serena Williams made her return to Wimbledon Tuesday with a three-set loss against Maya Joint. It marked the 44-year-old’s first singles action since the 2022 U.S. Open, when Williams said she was “evolving” away from tennis in a Vogue essay. She is still in the doubles draw with her sister, Venus.
Williams has been away from tennis, but she didn’t kick back with her feet up in retirement. She earned an estimated $40 million over the last 12 months from her brand partners and speaking engagements. It is more than she made during the peak of her tennis years. Williams ranked fourth in Sportico’s look at the highest-paid tennis players, despite only $8,975 in prize money from two grass-court doubles events last month.
Williams remained a popular pitchwoman in “retirement” with more than 10 endorsement deals, including Lincoln, Hasbro/Barbie and Heineken, promoting its alcohol-free 0.0 brand. Nike has been a partner since she joined the Swoosh with an endorsement deal in 2003 after starting her career with Puma. In 2022, Nike opened the Serena Williams Building at the company’s headquarters.
Recent new endorsements have focused on the health and wellness sector after the birth of her two daughters. They include glucose sensor Lingo, ready-to-eat meal brand Factor and supplement maker Ritual, which just expired. Last year, Ro signed the 23-time Grand Slam champion to promote its weight-loss drugs. Williams said she used GLP-1 treatment after having kids, and her Ro commercials have been on heavy rotation, including a 2026 Super Bowl ad.
