Top 10 richest female athletes

Sportspersonalities who compete at the highest level are known to earn a hefty sum. Be it the prize money or brand endorsements, the top-tier athletes always get a fat pay check and thus, have an enviable bank balance.

With more and more women taking up sports as a profession, quite a few of them take home large sums of money.

Here’s the list of top 10 richest female athletes between June 2012 and June 2013 according to Forbes:

10. Paula Creamer

Creamer is the most popular female golfer in the United States. The 2010 US Open golf champion, popularly known as the Pink Panther, has the most lucrative endorsement deals among female golfers. She won prize money worth USD 1 million while her endorsements gave her another USD 4.5 million, making her the 10th richest female athlete in the world with a net earning of USD 5.5 million.9. Ana Ivanovic

Former tennis world number 1 Ana Ivanovic has not been in good form, going through a Grand Slam drought after her French Open triumph in 2008. She won prize money worth only USD 1 million. However, her endorsements including a lifetime deal with Adidas earned her USD 6 million, giving her a net earning of USD 7 million. The Serbian is 9th in the list.8. Agnieszka Radwanska

The 24-year old tennis pro from Poland makes it to the list at the 8th spot. Voted the WTA’s favourite player by fans for the last two years, she enjoys a big fan following. However, she ran into trouble after her latest controversy regarding her posing nude for the body issue of ESPN The Magazine. With prize money of USD 4.9 million and endorsements worth USD 2.5 million, she managed to rake in USD 7.4 million.7. Caroline Wozniacki

Yet another tennis player makes her way into the list. At the 7th spot is Caroline Wozniacky of Denmark. She has recently dropped to 10th place in the WTA rankings, but she still has 10 companies in her sponsorship bag. She recently bagged a lucrative deal with sports major Adidas, sky-rocketing her endorsements earnings to USD 11 million. With a prize money worth USD 2.6 million, she has USD 13.6 million to her name.6. Kim Yuna

Kim Yuna is a South Korean figure skater. With two World Championship wins to her name already, she is a popular figure in South Korea. An array of big brand endorsements including Samsung and Korean Air, along with her prize money earned as a figure skating pro means she pockets a total of USD 14 million, taking her to the 6th spot in the list.5. Danica Patrick

The next on the list is the female race driver Danica Patrick of USA. She became a full time racer in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2013. She stunned everyone by grabbing pole at the Daytona 500 and finishing eight in the race. With an earning of USD 15 million (6 million salary and 9 million from endorsements), she is the 5th richest female athlete in the world.4. Victoria Azarenka

The former World No. 1 is at the fourth spot with a net earning of USD 15.7 million. She won prize money worth USD 7.9 million in 2012, becoming the only female athlete in any sport to earn that much amount in a single year. However, between June 2012 and June 2013, she made USD 6.7 million as prize money and another USD 9 million from endorsements, earning a total of USD 15 million.3. Li Na

The Chinese tennis player has won 7 WTA and 19 ITF singles titles so far. She made a relatively lower earning from her wins with just USD 3.2 million as compared to the top two. However, being the only Asian player to have won a Grand Slam, she is hugely popular in Asia, earning her several endorsement offers. She made USD 15 million from endorsements, taking her total earning to USD 18.2 million.2. Serena Williams

The list is dominated by tennis players and quite understandably so. Next in the list is World No. 1 Serena Williams. One of the best tennis players of recent times, she earned USD 8.5 million from her winnings. Add to that, another USD 12.5 million from her endorsements and modelling assignments, and she earned a total of USD 20.5 million and is 2nd on the list.1. Maria Sharapova

The Russian tennis star, who is currently ranked World No. 3 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), tops the list with an annual earning of USD 29 million. Being a top player, she raked in USD 6 million from her wins. With killer looks, successful modelling stints, and some great tennis, she enjoys a huge fan base across the world, turning her into a highly valuable marketing asset. With multiple brand endorsements including biggies like Nike, Porsche, Tag Heuer and Samsung to name a few, she made a whopping USD 23 million through endorsements and she sits at the top of the list.