Next year’s Australian Open will be the richest tournament in Grand Slam history. It was announced yesterday that the total prizemoney will be $25 million and $2.2 million will go to each singles winner.
Li Na is now by far the richest tennis player! Maria Sharapova was previously the highest, earning over $24 million each year in prizemoney and endorsements. Now, Li Na has over $42 million on endorsement contracts.
“We could do five more endorsement deals but she just doesn’t have the time,” said Eisenbud, a vice president at Coral Gables, Florida-based IMG Tennis who signed Li in November 2009. “It’s incredible.”
Since winning the French Open, Li Na has signed contracts with Daimler and Chinese insurance company Taikang Life Insurance Co.
“It was hard to set the price” after Li’s triumph in Paris, Eisenbud said. “We had to change it a lot.”
Roger Federer has become the world’s richest tennis player, with career prize money earnings listed as a staggering $US43.29 million ($A66.56 million).
Federer’s passage into the third round of the ATP Madrid Masters event yesterday saw the Swiss player edge past former No.1 Pete Sampras of the United States.
Federer will take his earnings to $US43.5 million ($A66.88 million) should he win in Spain. Sampras earned $US43.27 million ($A66.53 million) in his career.
Federer and Sampras, with 13 and 14 Grand Slams win each, stand almost $US12 million ($A18.45 million) clear of third-placed Andre Agassi.
Current world No.1 Rafael Nadal stands eighth in the list with $US20.5 million ($A31.52 million) in earnings, while legends Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors do not even make it into the top 10.
