Ronda Rousey and the 9 highest-paid female athletes in 2015
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These 10 superstar women made bank
On average, female athletes still make far less than their male counterparts, but these 10 women stars earned a whole lot of green this past year.
These figures are from June 2014 to June 2015, per Forbes' list.
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10. Agnieszka Radwanska: $6 million
It might be extremely difficult to spell her name correctly, but Agnieszka Radwanska has no problem signing her name on the checks she receives. Radwanska, one of the top tennis players in the world, made $4 million in sponsorships and another $2 million on the court.
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9. Stacy Lewis: $6.4 million
After winning another LPGA Player of the Year award in 2014, Stacy Lewis made the most money of any woman golfer. She does, however, make more from her sponsors, with $4 million burning through her pockets.
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8. Ronda Rousey: $6.5 million
Ronda Rousey is the jaw-dropping undefeated UFC Champion, and the highest-earning fighter on the list. With two fights in 2014, Rousey earned $3 million in the Octagon, but she made even more outside of the UFC ...
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She's impressive in and out of the Octagon
Rowdy Ronda Rousey's sponsorship portfolio is growing at an impressive rate. Thanks to pacts with Reebok, Metro PCS, Monster headphones, Buffalo David Bitton and Carl's Jr., UFC's biggest star banked $3.5 million in endorsements this past year. Expect Rousey to climb even higher up on next year's rankings.
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7. Simona Halep: $6.8 million
Simona Halep emerged as one of the top women's tennis players in 2014. She reached a world ranking of No. 2 and made the semifinals or better in two Grand Slam tournaments, which helped Halep earn $5.3 million on the court.
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6. Petra Kvitova: $7.7 million
Petra Kvitova won the 2014 Wimbledon tournament and the $3 million purse that came with it. Her Grand Slam victory accounted for more than half of her on-court winnings of $5.9 million.
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5. Ana Ivanovic: $8.3 million
Ana Ivanovic is one of the best tennis players in the world, and she's paid like it too. Thanks to a stellar tennis season, Ivanovic got a nice little bump from her top sponsor, Adidas, which helped her earn $6.5 million in endorsements.
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4. Danica Patrick: $13.9 million
Danica Patrick is a star on the race track and in commercials. Patrick made $7.9 million from driving around in circles for NASCAR. And fun fact: She's also been in more Super Bowl commercials than any other celebrity.
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Goodbye GoDaddy
Danica Patrick's chief sponsor for most of her career has been GoDaddy, which helped the NASCAR star grow in popularity. However, Patrick will have a new sponsor in 2015 with Nature's Bakery. Because of her endorsement pacts, Patrick pocketed $6 million this past year.
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3. Caroline Wozniacki: $14.6 million
It's been a big year for Caroline Wozniacki. She became the first athlete to be endorsed by Godiva, she was featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue, and she's dating everyone's favorite NFL player, J.J. Watt. Last year, Wozniacki's sponsorship deals made her $11 million.
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2. Serena Williams: $24.6 million
Serena Williams's quest for a true Grand Slam has earned quite a bit of cash. In 2014, she made $11.6 in on-court winnings. Her incredible 2015 season will undoubtedly add more green to her pockets.
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Serena is as marketable as ever
On the endorsement side, Williams is as marketable as ever, with $13 million in sponsorships from June '14 to June '15. Williams has endorsement deals with mega-brands PepsiCo, Chase and Nike, among others.
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1. Maria Sharapova: $29.7 million
Surprisingly, Maria Sharapova, not Serena Williams, is the biggest earner among female athletes.
Sharapova made nearly $30 million from June '14 to June '15. Her 2014 French Open victory helped the tennis star make $6.7 million on the court.
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She's the endorsement queen
Sharapova made a fine living with just her on-court earnings. But where she really took home the bread was with her whopping $23 million in endorsement money. Sharapova is sponsored by Nike and Porsche, among others.
Credit: Robert Deutsch, Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
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