Serena Williams may have been denied a record 22nd Grand Slam title in French Open last week, but the World No. 1 accomplished a new feat that eluded her for 11 long years.
According to the Forbes’ list of World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2016, the 34-year-old Williams has surpassed Maria Sharapova atop, who held the numero uno position for over a decade.
Williams recorded total earnings of $28.9 million including $20 million from endorsements and the rest $8.9 million as prize money from tennis in the last 12 months.
Sharapova, who is undergoing a ban after being tested for meldonium, saw her prize money plunge to $1.9 million, even as her earnings from endorsements remain $20 million.
THE LADIES IN TOP 10…
#1 Serena Williams (USA) – $28.9 million
#2 Maria Sharapova (RUS) – $21.9 million
#5 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) – $10.2 million
#6 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) – $8 million
#7 Garbine Muguruza (ESP) – $7.6 million
#8 Ana Ivanovic – (SRB) $7.4 million
#9 Victoria Azarenka (BLR) – $6.6 million
#10 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) – $6.2 million
