In the 12 times they’ve faced each other, Coco Gauff has had just a single win against Iga Swiatek. While the Polish player has won 23 sets against her, Gauff has won two. But in the one-sided rivalry, Gauff has found something to tower over her opponent – she earns more than the World No. 1. But the latest tally shows Swiatek will not give in so easily.

The Polish player is a self-labeled introvert, and common consensus says she doesn’t get as much exposure as, say, a socially active player. In her own words to The Player’s Tribune, Swiatek found talking to people a real challenge up until she was 17 or 18. But while she might not be very outspoken, the World No. 1 pours that energy into her performance. And she’s quickly catching up to Gauff in that one area where she is still behind.

According to a recent Forbes list, Gauff tallies a total of $27.1 million in total earnings, divided into $7.1 million from on-court appearances and $20 million away from it. Apart from her substantial deal with sports giant New Balance, the American top star has been heavy on the endorsement game, with some famous brand names including Fanatics, Barilla Pasta, and Naked Brand juices, among others. Perhaps the crowing glory for this WTA star is the one achievement every American athlete wants at least once in their life – a Wheaties box feature!

On the contrary, Swiatek’s off-court game isn’t as heavy as Gauff’s and earns her $15 million, per Forbes. Some of the big brands the Pole has been associated with include Lancôme & Lego, and Roger Federer’s brand ON. For Swiatek, it’s the on-court appearances that earn her the greens – they account for a staggering $11.7 million, higher than even the sport’s current top overall earner Carlos Alcaraz. While Alcaraz trumps Swiatek with his off-court earnings, his on-court earnings only account for $10.3 million, as per Forbes.

Coming back to the comparison between Gauff and Swiatek, while the American has last year’s US Open to boast about, Swiatek already has 5 Grand Slams, the latest of which came at the French Open this year. With a total of 5 titles in her bag in 2024, Swiatek is way ahead of Gauff in terms of her on-court achievements. Who said anything about top athletes having to be extroverted?

While Swiatek uses any tool at her disposal to help her win, interestingly, she wasn’t a tennis prodigy right from the beginning, prophesied to earn millions as the World No. 1. Nor did she imagine winning Grand Slams as a kid.

What Iga Swiatek wanted more than anything was to be comfortable in social situations

The word introvert has a different meaning for everyone – some prefer their own company and recharge alone, while some wish the world would favor them too, instead of extroverts. But Iga Swiatek? She just wanted to fit in, to not feel anxious if she had to speak to another person.

“There was a time in my life when I was so introverted that speaking to people was a real challenge. Until I was 17 or 18, it was hard sometimes to look people in the eyes. I hated how hard it was for me. It felt really bad not being able to make connections,” Swiatek wrote in The Player’s Tribune.

“You might imagine that I stayed up all night as a kid dreaming about being a big tennis player, but no. To tell you the truth, at night, I dreamed about feeling a bit more natural in social situations,” the pole further added. A stark contrast to how we hear most athletes growing up, falling in love with the sport immediately and wanting to excel on a global stage someday.

For Swiatek, even though it seemed like a faraway dream once, it has become a reality. And her quiet and shy nature that might keep her from seeking out people to talk to has become a big source of her strength!