Serena Williams tops Forbes highest-paid sportswomen list

Serena Williams of the US reacts after a point against Romania's Simona Halep during their women's singles match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2019. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

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.

US Serena Williams celebrates a point against to Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova during their Women's Singles Quarter-Finals match at the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 4, 2018 [Courtesy]

Forbes included prize money, salaries, bonuses, endorsements and appearance fees between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019 in the figures.

The highest placed athlete from a different sport was US footballer Alex Morgan, who clocked in at 12th. Morgan earned $5.8 million, most of it in endorsements.

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu and Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn were the other non-tennis players in the top 15.