Show Me The Money

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From the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
SERENA WILLIAMS BECOMES ALL-TIME FEMALE ATHLETE PRIZE MONEY LEADER

By advancing to singles and doubles finals of Australian Open, American breaks female athlete career prize money record previously held by Annika Sorenstam

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams has became the all-time female athlete career prize money leader in women’s sports by advancing to the finals of the Australian Open with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Russia’s Elena Dementieva. With her win yesterday and by reaching the doubles final with sister Venus, Serena not only eclipses Lindsay Davenport as the all-time leader in women’s tennis career prize money, but she also overtakes the LPGA’s Annika Sorenstam, who had held the record for career earnings with a total of $22,573,192. With her results to date at the 2009 Australian Open, Serena’s career earnings total US$22,725,475, surpassing Davenport by $580,740 and Sorenstam by $152,283. Davenport bypassed Steffi Graf in career prize money earnings in 2008, with the German having previously overtaken Martina Navratilova in earnings in 1998.

"I’m thrilled with the news! I remember earning my first cheque of $240 at Quebec City in 1995 and while I knew that I could have a great career in tennis, I could not have imagined or dreamed of all of this," said Serena Williams. "It’s amazing how much women’s tennis has grown since I joined the Tour fourteen years ago. I am very proud to have reached this milestone for me, my family and all women athletes out there. This achievement really shows that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."

"This is an historic milestone not just for Serena but all women athletes," said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Serena is one of the all time great champions in the history of our sport and this achievement is a product of Serena’s amazing on-court accomplishments over an extended time period."

Williams turned professional at the age of fourteen in November 1995 and played her first tournament in Quebec City, Canada. In her fourteen-year career she has won every major title in addition to nine Grand Slams, becoming only the sixth woman, other than Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, to achieve such a feat. Of the current players, only Serena’s older sister Venus Williams comes close to such an achievement, with seven Grand Slam singles titles to her name.

Williams was a winner at the US Open in 1999 beating Martina Hingis, at 2002 Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and 2003 Australian Open, each time beating Venus Williams; 2003 Wimbledon, once again defeating sister Venus, in Australia in 2005 and 2007 over Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova, respectively, and finally at the 2008 US Open defeating Jelena Jankovic. In addition, Williams won two Olympic Gold medals, both playing doubles with Venus Williams – in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008. Serena Williams holds 32 singles titles and 14 doubles titles. She passed the one million US dollar mark at the 1999 Roland Garros, later exceeding the $10 million mark in 2002 and the $20 million mark in 2008, both at the Sony Ericsson Championships.

Prize Money Milestone’s in Women’s Tennis

§ In 1971, total Tour prize money for 19 events was $309,100. In 2009, it has grown to over $86 million at the Tour’s 55 events (including the Grand Slams, which are not operated by the Tour)

§ In 1971, Billie Jean King became the first female athlete to pass the six figure mark in single season earnings. In 2008, 143 women earned over $100,000 during the season

§ In 1976, Chris Evert became the first female athlete to pass $1 million in career earnings at the Colgate Champs in Palm Springs, CA; in 1986 Martina Navratilova became the first woman to pass $10 million in career earnings at the U.S. Indoors and it was Navratilova again eight years later at 1994 Filderstadt, where she became the first to pass the $20 million mark

§ By winning Wimbledon 1982, Martina Navratilova became the all-time prize money leader in tennis, over taking both Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors, a mantle she held until 1989; later that year, she became the first female athlete to pass $1 million in a single season finishing with 1,475,055

§ In 1984, Navratilova surpassed the $2 million mark in season earnings; in 1997 Martina Hingis passed the $3 million mark; in 2003 Kim Clijsters passed the $4 million plateau and in 2007 Justine Henin became the first woman in sports to pass $5 million in single season earnings

§ On three occasions, a woman has been the top earner (men or women) in tennis: 1984 – Martina Navratilova, 1991 – Monica Seles and 2003 – Kim Clijsters.