Despite not having lifted a racquet in a sanctioned match since January's Australian Open, Serena Williams stands strong as 2017's top earner among female athletes, according to *Forbes*' annual rankings.
The nominal No. 1 in women's tennis raked in $27.6 million in on- and off-court earnings between June 2016 and June 2017. That's a tribute to her tournament dominance, winning the 2016 Wimbledon and 2017 Aussie Open titles, as well as her sizable sponsor portfolio that includes Beats by Dre, Nike, Gatorade and more.
Williams, who reveals in Vogue's September issue that she's "nervous" about her impending childbirth, rarely shows nerves away from tennis, having taken to the tech sector in recent months with fiancé and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's ear as advisor. Future opportunities for tech endorsements and involvement set Williams up for lifelong success.
Angelique Kerber appears at No. 2 on the Forbes list with earnings of $12.6 million, largely thanks to $7.6 million in prize money but also due to deals with Rolex and other sponsors. Six other tennis stars populate this particular Top 10, appearing at Nos. 5 through 10: Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Eugenie Bouchard and Simona Halep.
The No. 3 and No. 4 slots are held by NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and UFC competitor Ronda Rousey, respectively.
Notably falling out of the list are Maria Sharapova—No. 2 on the 2016 roster after 11 years atop the list—as well as the now-retired Ana Ivanovic and new mom Victoria Azarenka.
Serena Williams' dominance as a pro-tennis moneymaker can be summed up like so: With $84 million in career on-court earnings, she more than doubles her nearest competitor, Venus Williams, with $38 million, in that respect alone.
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