+Best Paid Athletes 2011
| Sport | Athlete | League/Tour | Money Type | Money | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Racing | Kimi Raikkonen | World Rally Championship | 2010 Race Winnings (plus $12.7M from severed F1 contract) | $26,333,333 | |
| Baseball | Alex Rodriguez | MLB | 2011 Salary | $32,000,000 | |
| Basketball | Kobe Bryant | NBA | 2010-11 Salary | $24,800,000 | |
| Beach Volleyball (Men) | Philip Dalhausser/Todd Rogers | FIVB | 2010 Prize Money | $387,700 | |
| Beach Volleyball (Women) | Larissa Franca/Juliana Felisberta Da Silva | FIVB | 2010 Prize Money | $351,300 | |
| Billiards (Men) | Darren Appleton | N/A | 2010 Prize Money | $118,494 | |
| Billiards (Women) | Ga-Young Kim | N/A | 2010 Prize Money | $67,930 | |
| Bowling (Men) | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | PBA | 2009-10 Prize Money | $152,670 | |
| Bowling (Women) | Shannon Pluhowsky | PBA | 2009-10 Prize Money | $40,300 | |
| Boxing (N. American Purse Fights) | Manny Pacquiao | N/A | 2010 Estimated Purse (two fights) | $32,000,000 | |
| Bull Riding | Renato Nunes | Professional Bull Riders | 2010 Prize Money | $1,594,527 | |
| Darts | Phil Taylor | Professional Darts Corporation | 2010 Prize Money | $1,044,000 | |
| Distance Running (Men) | Samuel Wanjiru | Various | 2010 Prize Money | $617,000 | |
| Distance Running (Women) | Liliya Shobukhova | Various | 2010 Prize Money | $695,000 | |
| Drag Racing | Larry Dixon | NHRA Top Fuel | 2010 Prize Money | $1,371,000 | |
| Eating | Joey Chestnut | Major League Eating | 2010 Earnings | $218,500 | |
| Equestrian (Men) | McLain Ward | Show Jumping | 2010 Earnings | $1,280,788 | |
| Equestrian (Women) | Laura Kraut | Show Jumping | 2010 Earnings | $627,907 | |
| Fishing | Kevin Vandam | Bassmaster Elite Series | 2010 Earnings | $915,500 | |
| Football | Peyton Manning | NFL | 2010 Salary | $15,800,000 | |
| Golf (Men) | Luke Donald | European Tour PGA | 2010 Tournament Winnings | $5,867,601 | |
| Golf (Women) | Na Yeon Choi | LPGA | 2010 Tournament Winnings | $1,871,165 | |
| Hockey (Tie) | Vincent Lecavalier | NHL | 2010-11 Salary | $10,000,000 | |
| Roberto Luongo | NHL | 2010-11 Salary | $10,000,000 | ||
| Horse Racing (Jockey) | Ramon A. Dominguez | N/A | 2010 Earnings (not individual share) | $17,411,880 | |
| MMA | Brock Lesnar | UFC | Estimated Prize Money, ppv share | $5,300,000 | |
| Poker | Jonathan Duhamel | Various | Land-Based Tournament Winnings, April 4, 2010- April 3, 2011 | $9,443,519 | |
| Racquetball | Kane Waselenchuk | International Racquetball Tour | IRT 2010 Event, Appearance Fees, Earnings, Sponsorships | $300,000 | |
| Rodeo | Trevor Brazile | Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association | 2010 Earnings | $507,920 | |
| Skiing (Men) | Ivica Kostelic | FIS World Cup Alpine skiing events | 2010-11 Prize Money | $464,440 | |
| Skiing (Women) | Lindsey Vonn | FIS World Cup Alpine skiing events | 2010-11 Prize Money | $509,542 | |
| Sled Dog | John Baker | Iditarod | 2011 First-Place Racing Prize Money | $50,400 | |
| Soccer | Cristiano Ronaldo | La Liga | 2010-11 Salary | $19,500,000 | |
| Squash | Nick Matthew | Professional Squash Association | 2010 Prize Money | $166,926 | |
| Sumo | Hakuho | Japan Sumo Association | 2010 Salary | $400,000 | |
| Surfing (Men) | Kelly Slater | ASP World Tour | 2010 Prize Money | $516,000 | |
| Surfing (Women) | Stephanie Gilmore | ASP World Tour | 2010 Prize Money | $140,700 | |
| Tennis (Men) | Rafael Nadal | ATP | 2010 Prize Money | $10,171,998 | |
| Tennis (Women) | Kim Clijsters | WTA | 2010 Prize Money | $5,035,060 | |
| Triathlon (Men) | Tim Don | International Triathlon Union | 2010 Prize Money | $223,600 | |
| Triathlon (Women) | Emma Snowsill | International Triathlon Union | 2010 Prize Money | $239,800 |
