1. Maria Sharapova
Profit: $24.4 million
Prize money - $2.4 million
Contracts - $22 million
The Russian tennis player is the first in terms of income and contracts with sponsors, although there were some difficulties that arose in 2013 - an injury allowed her to play only one match in six months. In the same year, a clothing production company owned by Nike was sold. This significantly affected Maria's earnings, as the advertising contract with this brand was one of Sharapova's income sources. Nevertheless, the tennis player still has profitable agreements with major companies such as Head, NIKE Inc., Tag Heuer, Avon, Samsung и Evian.
2. Li Na
Revenue: $23.6 million
Prize Money - $5.6 million
Contracts - $18 million
In 2014, after winning the Australian Grand Slam championship, Li Na's earnings were almost on par with Maria Sharapova's. As a result, Li secured several major sponsorship contracts with various companies. However, she gained widespread recognition in the sports world back in 2011, as the first Asian tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament in singles.
3. Serena Williams
Revenue: $22 million
Prize Money - $11 million
Contracts - $11 million
Serena Williams' earnings mostly come from prize money and significantly exceed her earnings from competitions compared to rating leader Sharapova. Since the beginning of her sports career, she has been a top star in world tennis but cannot boast the same number of sponsorship contracts as Maria Sharapova. Nonetheless, she also has agreements with Nike, Gatorade, OPI, and Wilson, as well as a stake in Sleep Sheets and the Miami Dolphins NFL team.
4. Kim Yuna
Revenue: $16.3 million
Prize Money - $300,000
Contracts - $16 million
The South Korean figure skater won silver at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but many believed she deserved the gold medal. Subsequently, Kim announced that her participation in these Olympic Games was the last in her sports career. Nonetheless, she remains a prominent figure in her homeland, and various advertising companies continue to offer her deals. For example, a contract with South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom has significantly contributed to her earnings.
5. Danica Patrick
Revenue: $15 million
Prize fees - $7 million
Contracts - $ 8 million
The success of the only woman in NASCAR racing recently quite modest, however, it remains quite popular with representatives of large companies. In her arsenal of contracts with market giants such as Coca-Cola, Tissot and about 10 other companies. Not so long ago, Patrick starred in a commercial for GoDaddy, a domain registration firm whose name adorns her sports car.
