Tennis Star Daniil Medvedev Smashes Racket During Chaotic US Open Match
Moïse Kouamé is likely leaving Roland-Garros much richer.
After all, the 17-year-old tennis player advanced to the third round of the men’s singles at the French Open following his May 28 match against Adolfo Vallejo. While the achievement comes with a guaranteed €187,000 in winnings (about $218,000 USD), concerns about an age requirement surrounding the funds have raised eyebrows.
Mike Hayden, a producer on Andy Roddick’s Served Media podcast, alleged on the May 28 episode that Moïse “can’t even collect his winnings ’cause he’s not 18 yet.”
“There’s a French law that you can’t collect the prize money until you turn 18,” he said. “He better be getting a f–king interest rate while the government keeps that bag.”
Following the statements, Moïse’s agent Daryl Monfils told Front Office Sports in an email that the claims were “wrong information” but did not provide any further details.
But that’s not to say the athlete—who became the youngest player to reach a men’s singles Grand Slam third round since Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2003—won’t be taking the prize with him.
Article 382 of the Civil Code does prohibit minors from managing their assets—unless the minor is legally emancipated—so the teen likely won’t be taking the money home himself. However, his parents have the ability to access the money.
“Legal administration belongs to the parents,” according to Article 382 of France’s Civil Code. “If parental authority is exercised jointly by both parents, each of them is a legal administrator. In other cases, legal administration belongs to the parent who exercises parental authority.”
For Moïse, his family members—including mom Suzanne Nsemba and brother Michaël Kouamé, also a tennis player—have been his biggest support system.
“My mom has also been one of the biggest inspirations in life for me,” he told ATP Media earlier this month. “She has been through difficult situations and now she’s here in Monte-Carlo with her son playing one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar.”
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“Also, my brother, because he was the one who introduced me to tennis,” he continued. “My dad and my sister, of course. My family is my support, my base.”
And Moïse is especially grateful since he’s planning to keep his feet on that court as long as possible.
“It was instant love,” he added. “I didn’t force it. At first it was just for fun but the turning point came when you ask yourself if this is something I want to do for the next 30 or 40 years and the answer was yes.”
As fans wait to see Moïse compete against Alejandro Tabilo May 30, keep reading for a closer look at the wallets of more athletes.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
For many sports stars, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s salary is goals. After all, the Portuguese soccer player regularly tops lists of highest-paid athletes.
In June 2025, Ronaldo signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia. And while the exact value of the deal wasn’t revealed, multiple outlets reported he received an annual salary of approximately $200 million when he first signed with the team in 2022 after leaving Manchester United in England.
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Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi kicked off his time at Inter Miami CF with a big check. The annualized average guaranteed compensation for the Argentine player—who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the David Beckham-owned team in 2023 after having previously played for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona—is more than $20.4 million, with a current annualized base salary of $12 million, per the MLS Players Association’s 2025 salary guide.
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Alex Morgan
However, pay gaps still exist when comparing the salaries of male and female sports stars. Case in point? There were no women on Forbes‘ 2025 list of top 50 highest-paid athletes.
Alex Morgan—who retired from soccer in 2024 after playing her last game with the San Diego Wave—came in at No. 16 on the outlet’s ranking of highest-paid female athletes last year. The publication estimated the World Cup champ earned $600,000 on-field and $7 million off-field (scoring some solid endorsement deals) in 2024.
And while there have been strides to bridge the pay gap (with U.S. Soccer becoming the first federation to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money for the country’s women’s and men’s national teams), there is still a long way to go until it’s a more equitable playing field.
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Caitlin Clark
After being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever that, according to The Athletic, was worth $338,056 and resulted in her receiving a $76,535 salary her rookie year.
Many were shocked by the figures considering the base salary for NBA players is much higher.
Caitlin also has endorsement deals, including one with Nike that The Athletic reported was worth $28 million.
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Stephen Curry
Topping ESPN’s list of NBA players’ salaries for the 2025 to 2026 season is Stephen Curry, with the outlet reporting he raked in $59.6 million. However, the Golden State Warriors weren’t going to miss their shot at having the guard play longer.
In August 2024, Steph signed a $62.6 million extension that keeps him on the team through 2027, his agent confirmed to CNBC.
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LeBron James
Also dunking all the way to the bank? LeBron James. According to ESPN’s list, the Los Angeles Lakers forward made $52.6 million during the 2025 to 2026 season.
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Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is also serving up major moves.
The tennis champ reigned at the top of Forbes‘ list of highest paid female athletes in 2024 with an estimated $34.4 million in total earnings that year ($9.4 million on-court and $25 million off).
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Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka appears to be acing her brand deals, too.
Forbes reported the Grand Slam title holder from Japan pulled in an estimated $12.9 million in 2024, and that $12 million of that sum came from income earned outside of her match winnings.
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Simone Biles
Simone Biles got the gold in more way than one.
According to Forbes‘ list, the Olympic gymnast earned an estimated $11.2 million in 2024 (with $11 million of that total reportedly coming outside of her competition earnings).
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Travis Kelce
If you’re trying to fill the blank space on how much Travis Kelce makes playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, here’s the answer: The tight end signed a three-year deal in 2026 worth $57.7 million, according to multiple outlets.
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Patrick Mahomes
As for his teammate Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback scored a pretty penny when he signed a 10-year contract with the Chiefs in 2020 worth $450 million, according to his agency Equity Sports.
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Josh Allen
The Buffalo Bills weren’t going to fumble the opportunity to keep Josh Allen on their team. In March 2025, the quarterback inked a six-year deal that, per Rapoport, is worth $330 million (with $250 million guaranteed).
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Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson touched down on a new team.
After previously playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants in March 2025 worth $10.5 million, per NFL Network Insiders‘ Rapoport, Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. However, the trio reported Russell could receive up to $21 million on the deal through incentives.
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Aaron Rodgers
Stepping in as the Steelers’ quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, who previously played for the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers.
And while the QB will be wearing No. 8, his paycheck reflects a much bigger number. The one-year contract he signed in June 2025 is worth $13.65 million with $10 million guaranteed, per NFL Network Insiders Rapoport and Pelissero. However, the Insiders noted Aaron could earn up to $19.5 million through incentives.
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