Sharapova tops Forbes rich list for 9th straight year

Moscow: Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova has topped the Forbes list of highest-paid female athletes for the ninth straight year, the magazine reported Tuesday.

According to Forbes, Sharapova earned $29 million between June 2012 and June 2013. The 26-year-old`s earnings came from prize money and endorsement deals. American Serena Williams is second on the list with earnings of $20.5 million, followed by Chinese tennis player Li Na on $18.2 million and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka on $15.7 million. Besides being a successful athlete, Sharapova also launched a candy business in 2012 and looks forward to expand into fashion, accessories and make-up. IANS