Sharapova is women's top earner for 11th year

Sharapova is women's top earner for 11th year

CARY (North Carolina) • Tennis star Maria Sharapova again tops the list of highest earning female athletes over the past year, according to Forbes.

For the 11th consecutive year, the Russian heads a list dominated by tennis players, who occupy seven of the top 10 spots.

The 28-year-old, who won last year's French Open, collected US$6.7 million (S$9.4 million) in prize money, but her total estimated earnings were US$29.7 million. The Forbes list also includes earnings from appearances, licensing and endorsements, personal business interests and, in some cases, salary.
Tennis world No. 1 Serena Williams is second at US$24.6 million, while motor-racing driver Danica Patrick is the top non-tennis player, in fourth place with US$13.9 million.
The only other non-tennis players in the top 10 are No. 8 Ronda Rousey (mixed martial arts) and No. 9 Stacy Lewis (golf).

Tennis is one of the few big-money sports where the earnings of women are somewhat comparable to men, though Sharapova's income nonetheless was significantly less than the US$67 million earned by Roger Federer, the top tennis player on the latest Forbes men's list.

Boxers Floyd Mayweather (US$300 million) and Manny Pacquiao (US$160 million) head the latest men's list, followed by Real Madrid football star Cristiano Ronaldo (US$79.6 million).

The female earnings were calculated from June 1 of last year until the same date this year.

REUTERS

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