August 03, 2011
As evidenced by the fact that she has just four singles victories since 2009, Maria Sharapova is not the best player in women's tennis. Because of that, it goes without saying that she's not the best female athlete currently walking the earth.
But she gets paid like she is.
According to Forbes (via the New York Post), Sharapova is the highest-paid female athlete in the world. They have her annual earnings at $25 million, twice as much as the next name on the list. Coincidentally, that would be Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 1 player in women's tennis.
This is not the first time Sharapova has earned the top spot on this particular list. In fact, this is the seventh year in a row the 24-year-old Russian has topped Forbes' list. Not bad for a player who has won just three Grand Slams, the last of which came in 2008.
So how does Sharapova make all this money, you ask?
Well, it doesn't all come from tennis, that much is clear. Since 2010, her tennis earnings check in at just $2 million, leaving many millions unaccounted for.
Those millions come from endorsements. Numerous companies have approached Sharapova to rep their products, and for that she gets nice, big paychecks.
For good or ill, this is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to sports. If you have a big name, odds are you're well-paid within your respective sport. But many athletes make far more money outside the lines than they do between them. Sharapova is no exception.
To clarify, those who carry big names aren't necessarily the most talented players. Sharapova, for example, is very good, but her current standing in the No. 5 spot in the WTA rankings is warranted. She may be a perennial contender, but she is not as good as Wozniacki or Australian Open champ Kim Clijsters. In fact, she's probably lucky to be ranked above French Open champ Li Na.
For the record, Clijsters and Li rank No. 5 and No. 8 on Forbes' list, respectively. Clijsters' earnings check in at $11 million, and Li has made $8 million. Since 2010, Clijsters has earned more than $7 million on the court, and Li has earned over $4 million.
Those figures fairly trump Sharapova's earnings of $2 million.
It's not wrong, and it's not right. It is what it is.
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