Sophia Thomalla, partner of Alexander Zverev, has emerged as the highest-earning partner of this year's Australian Open, raking in up to $15,406 per sponsored social media post.

This data was collected by World of Card Games, who examined the social media profiles of 27 of the most influential WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) and HABs (Husbands and Boyfriends) of the 2024 Australian Open. An influencer marketing calculator was utilised to establish which star is the most influential on social media and how much they can earn per sponsored post.

Other high-earning partners include Madalina Ghenea ($14,058 per post), Jelena Djokovic ($8,859 per post), Paige Lorenze ($7,318 per post), David Lee ($5,585 per post), and Jozy Altidore ($4,044 per post).

The study analysed the highest-earning aspect of Instagram, a sponsored post, and ranked the 27 partners with the highest Instagram follower counts based on their sponsored post-earning potential. The information was sourced from Inzpire.me (https://inzpire.me/instagram-pricing-calculator), which uses real Instagram data based on real collaborations with influencers to calculate a user’s performance.

"Many are likely to believe that WAGs and HABs have an easy and luxurious life when viewers see them on their TVs watching their partner from the sidelines, clad in designer gear with immaculate hair and make-up. But being a WAG or HAB is tougher than people think. Navigating the demands of a public profile, managing media attention and cultivating their own identities in the shadow of their accomplished spouse can be hard," a spokesperson from World of Card Games said.

"The partner's role involves balancing personal life with the demands of a high-profile athletic career, whilst creating a stable and nurturing environment that allows the athlete to focus on their training and matches. That is probably why some of the WAGs or HABs are athletes themselves, as they understand what their partner goes through as a professional athlete."

This study sheds light on the influential power of these partners and their potential to generate significant income through sponsored social media posts. It also highlights the complexities and challenges they face in managing their public profiles and personal identities alongside their partners' high-profile athletic careers.