Revealed: Maria Sharapova the world’s highest-paid sportswoman. Photo: Eurosport
With it being National Women’s Day in South Africa, MySport24 took to Google to find yesteryear’s most powerful women in sport:
1. Maria Sharapova
The 18-year-old budding tennis star, who hails from Russia and won Wimbledon last year, sits atop the female athlete income rankings, with annual earnings estimated at $18-23 million. Aside from her tournament winnings, the 6-foot-2, long-legged blonde has a slew of corporate endorsements, including Nike, Canon cameras, Motorola phones and Tag Heuer watches.
2. Sheila Johnson
The 56-year-old businesswoman/philanthropist, who co-founded Black Entertainment Television with her ex-husband, bought stakes in the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, the Washington Wizards of the NBA and the Washington Capitals of the NHL in May.
3. Annika Sorenstam
The 35-year-old native of Sweden has put a lot of distance between herself and the rest of the women’s golf world, winning 10 of the 20 tournaments she entered this year, including two majors. Her career tournament earnings surpassed $18 million in 2005, while no other woman golfer has even reached $11 million.
4. Venus and Serena Williams
The sisters brought women’s tennis to a new level when they burst on the scene in the late 1990s with their combination of power and athleticism. They also helped diversify the sport, becoming the first women of color to win major tournaments since Althea Gibson in the 1950s.
5. Michelle Wie
The 16-year-old turned pro in October, and already her estimated $10 million in annual income from endorsements with Nike and Sony put her ahead of Sorenstam. Yet Wie is still waiting to win her first pro tournament. – IOU Sports
Related articles
