Serena tops Forbes list

WASHINGTON: US tennis superstar Serena Williams topped Forbes magazine’s list of the highest paid women in sports for the fourth straight year on Tuesday.

The business publication calculated that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion earned $29.2 million in the 12-month period ending June 1 — with just $4.2 million of that coming from prize money.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who burst to international stardom with a stunning upset of Williams in the 2018 US Open final and went on to win the Australian Open in January, became just the fourth woman to earn more than $20 million in a year — after Williams and tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Li Na.

Forbes pegged Osaka’s earnings at $24.3 million, putting her second on a list dominated by tennis players.

Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber was third on the list with earnings of $11.8 million followed by this year’s Wimbledon champion Simona Halep.