The Financial Express (Delhi Edition)
Show me the money
Tennis players once again dominate the action in this year’s list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes
TENNIS IS leading the way towards gender equality for women in sports. In this year’s ‘highest-paid female athletes’ list taken out by Forbes, too, tennis players dominate the action. In all, the 10 top-paid female athletes earned $124 million from salary, prize money, endorsements, appearances and licensing between June 2015 and June 2016. Here’s the list...
Serena Williams
Total earnings: $28.9 million Williams was denied her chance to win the calendar Grand Slam at the US Open, but lucrative bonuses from her three 2015 Slam wins and a dozen corporate partners have made her the highest-paid female athlete in the world for the first time since 2004. Williams’ career prize money of $77.6 million is more than twice as much as any other female athlete.
Maria Sharapova
Total earnings: $21.9 million Sharapova shocked the tennis world in March when she announced that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January. Nike and Porsche suspended promotional activities with the five-time Grand Slam-winner, but did not terminate their contracts. Tag Heuer and American Express decided not to renew their deals. Other partners, including Avon, Evian and Head, stuck by Sharapova.
Ronda Rousey
Total earnings: $14 million Rousey faced a stunning loss to Holly Holm in November, her first defeat after 12 wins in mixed martial arts. Rousey has crossed over into mainstream celebrity with movie roles, Sports Illustrated swimsuit appearances, hosting Emmy Award-winning comedy show Saturday Night Live and endorsement deals with Reebok, MetroPCS, Bud Light, Buffalo Jeans and Fanatics.
Danica Patrick
Total earnings: $13.9 million GoDaddy didn’t renew its primary sponsorship of American professional stock car racing driver’s car after nine years together. Nature’s Bakery stepped in to sponsor 28 races in 2016 with Patrick signing a multi-year extension in August to drive for Stewart-Haas. GoDaddy will continue to be a personal sponsor of hers along with 10 other brands like Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Nationwide and Tissot.
Agnieszka Radwanska
Total earnings: $10.2 million The world’s number two-ranked tennis player won three events last year, including the Women’s Tennis Association final. The wins and ranking triggered lucrative bonuses for the Polish star. Her endorsement partners include Lotto, Babolat, Lexus, Workday, Rado and Amica. Her $23 million in career prize money ranks sixth all-time.
Caroline Wozniacki
Total earnings: $8 million The former top-ranked tennis player in the world has seen her ranking plummet over the past 12 months to number 34. She won only eight of her first 15 matches in 2016. Wozniacki plans to compete at the Rio Olympics and will carry the Danish flag in the opening ceremonies.
Garbine Muguruza
Total earnings: $7.6 million The Venezuelan-born Spaniard broke through at the French Open with her first Grand Slam win in a straight sets victory over Serena Williams. The win was worth $2.3 million in prize money and lucrative bonuses from sponsors like Adidas. Muguruza finished second in WTA prize money in 2015.
Ana Ivanovic
Total earnings: $7.4 million The Serb tennis player has failed to get past the third round of her last four Grand Slam events and her rank has fallen to number 16. Ivanovic renewed her deal with Dubai Duty Free last year and added a new partner in Japanese multinational personal care company Shiseido.
Victoria Azarenka
Total earnings: $6.6 million Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka’s ranking plummeted to number 50 in the world last year after her 2014 season ended early from injury. She’s recovered to win three events this year, her first titles since 2013. Azarenka’s partners include Nike, Wilson, Citizen and Esurance.
Eugenie Bouchard
Total earnings: $6.2 million Bouchard appeared to be tennis’ new ‘It’ girl after her run to the 2014 Wimbledon finals. She landed new deals with Nike, Usana and Rolex that kicked off last year. But injuries and uneven play have plagued her and her rank has fallen to number 47.