Serena tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes

(Reuters) – Serena Williams was the highest paid female athlete for a third consecutive year in 2018, according to an annual list published by Forbes on Tuesday that was dominated by tennis players.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 9, 2018. Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during the fourth round match against Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina . REUTERS/Toby Melville

Williams, who returned to competition in March after giving birth last September, earned $62,000 in winnings over the past year but received $18.1 million from an endorsement portfolio unmatched among women in sports, Forbes said.

Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom. I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal. It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week–it’s ok–I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Aug 6, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT

Williams, who will try to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles when she competes at the Aug. 27-Sept. 9 U.S. Open in New York, earned twice as much off the court as any other female athlete, according to Forbes.

Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – May 30, 2018 Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the U.S. celebrate after winning their first round doubles match against Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who captured her maiden grand slam title at this year’s Australian Open, was second on the list with combined earnings of ($13 million) while reigning U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens ($11.2 million) was third.

Spaniard Garbine Muguruza ($11 million) and Russian Maria Sharapova ($10.5 million) rounded out the top five.

Royal Wedding

Indian badminton player P.V. Sindhu ($8.5 million) and retired race car driver Danica Patrick ($7.5 million) were the only non-tennis players to crack the top 10, filling up the seventh and ninth spots, respectively.

In June, Forbes issued a ranking of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes and it did not feature a woman.

Serena Williams, who was the only woman on the list the previous year, dropped out of the chart while taking time off to have a baby.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ian Ransom)