American tennis star, Serena Williams, has topped the Forbes’ list of highest- earning female athletes in the world despite winning just $62,000 in prize money during the last 12 months.
The $18.1 million the 23-time grand slam champion earned in endorsements according to a report in CNN.com was enough for her to top the list for a third straight year despite not playing competitively for 14 months after revealing in January 2017 that she was pregnant with her first child.
The 36-year-old made twice as much off the court than any other female athlete, while only 16 male athletes have earned more than Williams over the past 12 months from sponsorships.
The top 10 females earned a combined $105 million from June 2017 to June 2018 — down 4% from last year and 28% from five years ago.
In comparison, the combined earnings of the world’s top 10 highest-paid sports stars, who are all male, tops a billion dollars.
