Kuala Lumpur: The World Badminton Federation (BWF) announced the top 10 highest prize money earners in 2019 on Wednesday, and World No. 1 Kento Momota became the first badminton player to earn more than USD $500,000 total prize money in a single season.
Kento Momota, who won a record breaking of winning 11 titles in a single season has also earned more than anybody. He was rewarded a total income of USD $506,900.
The next highest earning player behind Kento Momota was actually the women’s singles World No. 1 Chen Yufei of China. She made USD $387,875. Taiwan’s former World No. 1 women’s singles player Tai Tzu Ying was ranked No. 3 in the list as she pocketed USD $307,700.
The seemingly unstoppable mixed doubles pair, Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong who won the 2019 World Championships, all three Super 1000 titles, and the World Tour Finals, were tied at the 4th spot with USD $263,200.63 and USD $263,200 respectively.
Indonesia’s Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo who held the World No. 1 men’s doubles ranking for a total of 117 consecutive weeks, and picked up total of eight titles in 2019, each claimed USD $245,316, while World No. 2 pair, Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan also made an impressive USD $200,320 each.
Here is a list of the top prize money winners of 2019:
1. Kento Momota – USD $506,900
2.Chen Yu Fei – USD $387,875
3.Tai Tzu Ying – USD $307,700
4.Zheng Si Wei – USD $263,200.63
4.Huang Ya Qiong – USD $263,200
5.Akane Yamaguchi – USD $249,272
6.Marcus Fernaldi Gideon – USD $245,316
6.Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo – USD $245,31
7.Chou Tien Chen – USD $234,610
8.Chen Qing Chen – USD $216,131
8.Jia Yi Fan – USD $216,131
9. Mohammad Ahsan – USD $200,230
9. Hendra Setiawan – USD $200,230
