Sport > World > Lists > Earnings > Forbes > Women > 2017

Here are the top paid women athletes from around the world for 2016-17 according to the figures from Forbes Magazine. After losing her top ranking last year, Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova has dropped off this top earners list, the first time since 2004. Serena Williams is the highest paid female athlete for the second year running, earning twice as much as the next placed athlete, despite having an extended break this year due to having a baby.

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William's earnings of 27 million dollars US between July 2016 and July 2017 is still well behind the highest paid male athlete for the same time period, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who had combined earnings of 93 million dollars (see highest paid athletes for 2017). Serena Williams was the only female to make the top 100 list of all athletes, coming in at 51.

Tennis is certainly the sport to play if you are female, with tennis players taking up eight positions in the top 10. The highest earning female golfer was Lydia Ko, earning $5.9 million. In soccer, the highest earner was Alex Morgan earning only $3.5 million, dwarfed by the earnings of Ronaldo.

See more lists of the World's Highest Paid Women Athletes.

Notes

• The earnings totals (in US dollars) are derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, licensing and endorsement income in the 12 months from May 1, 2016 to May 1, 2017. Taxes or agents' fees are not factored into the figures.

Sources

• From Forbes Magazine's list of "The 10 Highest-Paid Female Athletes" published in June 2017.

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Related Pages

• Other lists of the World's Highest Paid Women Athletes
• The highest paid athletes (male and female) for 2017
• Most Famous Sportswomen From 2017
• Forbes list of the World's Best Paid Athletes
• More sporting lists