Sharapova Russia’s richest sportsperson of 2009
Published: 23 November, 2009, 19:27
Edited: 14 January, 2010, 21:50
Maria Sharapova (AFP Photo / Yoshikazu Tsuno)
TAGS: Sport, Arshavin, Malkin, Ovechkin, Sharapova, Zhirkov, Safina
Tennis queen Maria Sharapova has remained Russia’s richest sports identity, despite another disappointing season, writes the Russian Finans magazine.
Sharapova’s revenues dropped to $24 million in 2009, but she is still leading the pack by a wide margin. In fact, tennis itself brought Sharapova a modest $900,000, with the rest coming from numerous advertising contracts. While for the other athletes who made it to the list, their sport is the main and sometimes the only source of income.
Basketball star Andrey Kirilenko has earned $15.1 million, which helped him retain the second spot. And the player dubbed in the NBA as “AK-47” may soon overthrow Sharapova if he moves from his current outfit Utah Jazz to the New Jersey Nets, owned by the Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
All-time hockey all star Alexander Ovechkin has found himself on the third with $12 million. With his current contract remaining intact, the NHL star has significantly increased his advertising revenue.
Meanwhile, Ovechkin’s “brother in arms”, Evgeny Malkin, has reached fifth position, as his contract soared to $8.7 million per year. However, Malkin didn’t exceed football star Andrey Arshavin, who made it to fourth with an amazing $11.25 million.
All in all, the list includes 16 ice hockey stars, five footballers, three tennis players and a basketballer.
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On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, Maria Sharapova is most definitely a ten. She is a great athlete.
As long as she stay a sincere russian citizen, Maria Sharapova has the right to take advantage of her worldwide notoriety. She worked very hard and make many sacrifices to get to the top and succeeded. Most commentators are jealeeous but if they were in her place, they will do exactly the same. Anna Kournikova understood the usefullness of her beauty. Any clothes manufacturer prefer to show a new tennis dress weared by those two russian beauties rather than by Mauresmo or Henin. What is wrong, in a consumers' world, about that ! Sincerely. Jean-Claude Meslin
wow, some of these comments show i dont know much about sharapova, which is true! in the interviews i have seen she comes off as very very classy compared to the average american bimbo we have now. it nice to watch an attractive women play an attractive sport. tennis is an attractive sport - or was before the hitting made points into video game exercises. god give me attractive women tennis players and not bull dykes.