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Int'l Women's Day: Top 10 richest female athletes in the world

By Michael Duah
Int'l Women's Day: Top 10 richest female athletes in the world
Int'l Women's Day: Top 10 richest female athletes in the world
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Who are the richest female athletes in the world? You’ve probably found yourself wondering just how much all your favorite female athletes are worth, and who comes out on top.

Which is why PrimeNewsGhana's Duah Michael have put together a list of the 10 richest female athletes in the world, with their net worth estimates, and how they’ve managed to rake in so much cash as we celebrate women today.

10. Agnieszka Radwańska- Net Worth: $25 millionImage result for Agnieszka RadwańskaPolish tennis player Agnieszka Radwańska began her professional career in 2005, as did her younger sister, Urszula. Radwańska has won 20 singles titles and two doubles titles. In 2016, she pulled in an impressive $10.2 million, roughly half of which was from prize money and the other half from endorsements. At the end of 2016, her prize money totaled $23 million, the sixth highest of all time.

Radwańska’s endorsement deals include Lotto, Babolat and Lexus, among others. She has a net worth of $25 million.

9. Martina Hingis- Net Worth: $25 millionImage result for Martina HingisConsidered a teenage prodigy, Martina Hingis became the youngest ever Grand Slam junior winner in 1993 — one year prior to the start of her professional career. She won a total of 81 titles from 1994-2007. Hingis retired from singles play in 2002 only to return again a couple of years later. She retired from singles again in 2007.

Today, Hingis enjoys a successful doubles career. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Hingis and partner Timea Bacsinszky won silver medals for Switzerland. Hingis was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.

Hingis’ career prize earnings total more than $23 million.

8. Annika Sörenstam- Net Worth: $40 millionImage result for Annika SörenstamRegarded as one of the best female golfers of all time, Annika Sörenstam entered the professional circuit in 1994. Throughout her career, she had a total of 89 wins, including 10 major wins. She also accumulated countless other awards, including eight ESPYs. In 2003, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Retired since 2008, Sörenstam’s career earnings are more than $22 million. According to her website, she is the first player in LPGA history to cross the $20 million earnings mark.

7. Li Na- Net Worth: $50 millionImage result for Li NaChinese tennis star Li Na shot to fame in 2011 when she became the first Asian player to make the finals at the Australian Open and the first Asian-born tennis player ever to win a Grand Slam singles event at the French Open. Na returned to Australia in 2014 to claim the Grand Slam title.

Na announced her retirement in 2014, the same year Forbes named her one of the highest-paid female athletes. Na earned $23.6 million in 2014, $18 million of which was from endorsements. Na has continued to enjoy big endorsement deals long after her retirement. Recently, she partnered with Nike to launch the Li Na collection in China.

6. Anna Kournikova- Net Worth: $50 millionRelated imageAnna Kournikova is no doubt one of the most famous female tennis players of all time. The Russian player enjoyed some success throughout her career, including two Grand Slam, doubles wins; however, she never won a Grand Slam singles title.

Despite mediocre success on the court, Kournikova enjoyed a number of lucrative endorsements due to her growing celebrity. In 2012, Kournikova appeared as a celebrity trainer on the show “The Biggest Loser.” She continues to model today.

5. Danica Patrick- Net Worth: $60 millionImage result for Danica PatrickAuto racer Danica Patrick started her career as an Indianapolis 500 racer. She is the first woman to lead laps and score a Top 5 finish in the Indianapolis 500, a feat she achieved in 2005. She is also the first woman to win an IndyCar race, the Indy Japan 300 in 2008.

In 2013, Patrick made the move to NASCAR. She drives the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Patrick has enjoyed a number of different endorsement deals throughout her career. She is famously associated with GoDaddy. Danica Patrick’s net worth is $60 million.

4. Venus Williams- Net Worth: $75 millionImage result for Venus WilliamsVenus Williams is one of the most famous names in the sport of tennis. Williams became a professional tennis player in 1994, one year before her younger sister Serena. Williams has won 49 singles titles and 22 doubles titles. She has also won five Olympic medals, four gold and one silver. In 2016, she and Serena won their sixth Wimbledon doubles title.

Williams has won more than $36 million in prize money throughout her career. She also enjoys a number of endorsement deals, which add to her net worth of $75 million.

3. Alexis DeJoria- Net Worth: $100 millionImage result for Alexis DeJoriaAlexis DeJoria is a drag racer competing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). DeJoria races the Funny Car, a type of race car that can reach speeds over 330 miles per hour. She has four career wins in the NHRA Funny Car Division and is the first female driver to be clocked under 4 seconds in a Funny Car.

DeJoria is the daughter of billionaire entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria, who co-founded the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company. DeJoria’s Toyota Camry Funny Car is sponsored by Tequila Patrón.

2. Maria Sharapova- Net Worth: $135 millionRelated imageRussian-born Maria Sharapova began her professional career in 2001. She has won 23 singles titles — including five Grand Slam titles — and three doubles titles. Sharapova won a silver medal for women’s singles at the 2012 London Olympics.

Sharapova was just one of two female athletes to make the 2016 Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes list. Ranked No. 88 on that list, she earned $21.9 million that year, $20 million of which was from endorsements. She has won approximately $36.5 million in prize money to date, making her one of the highest-paid tennis players.

In March, Sharapova announced that she had tested positive for the drug meldonium. The International Tennis Federation suspended Sharapova from the sport for two years due to the failed drug test. While the suspension was later reduced to 15 months, Sharapova missed the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

Sharapova lost sponsor Tag Heuer after the announcement. Other sponsors that include Nike and Porsche suspended promotional plans with the player, though they did not terminate their contracts.

1. Serena Williams- Net Worth: $180 millionRelated imageSerena Williams is a dominating force in the sport of tennis. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the world after taking a 14-month hiatus to marry Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, and give birth to their daughter. Williams was defeated at the 2018 U.S. Open by Naomi Osaka, who is in talks to sign the largest-ever Adidas deal for a woman athlete.

Williams started her professional career in 1995 and has since won a staggering 39 Grand Slam titles. Like her sister, Venus, she is a decorated Olympian with a total of four gold medals.

Williams is the highest-paid female athlete on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2018 list. Williams has earned $18 million in the 12 months ending June 1, 2018, from endorsements alone. She counts Beats by Dre, Gatorade, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, Lincoln and Nike among her many sponsors. Serena Williams’ net worth is $180 million.

All net worth figures are according to CelebrityNetWorth.com unless otherwise noted. 

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