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 Australian Open finalist Serena Williams has dethroned golfing legend Annika Sorenstam as the all-time highest career prize money earner in women's sport. The WTA Tour has made the announcement on Friday.
Sources have thrown more light on the news of Serena Williams. According to them, the American moved to the top of the bank balance sheets by advancing to the singles final here with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia's Elena Dementieva and also by reaching the doubles final with sister Venus.
Ahead of the two finals, Serena Williams has earned 22,725,475 US dollars thereby overtaking retired Sorenstam who had held the record for career earnings with a total of 22,573,192 dollars.
"I'm thrilled with the news. I remember earning my first cheque of 240 dollars at Quebec City in 1995 and while I knew that I could have a great career in tennis, I could not have imagined or dreamed of all of this," added Serena Williams.
She continued, "It's amazing how much women's tennis has grown since I joined the Tour fourteen years ago. I am very proud to have reached this milestone for me, my family and all women athletes out there. This achievement really shows that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."
Serena has entered into the world of professional tennis at the age of 14 in the month of November 1995 and also played her first tournament in Quebec City, Canada.
In her 14-year career she has won every major title in addition to nine Grand Slams. Thus she became the sixth woman, other than Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, to achieve such a feat.
Amongst the present-day tennis players, only Serena William's elder sister Venus comes close to such an achievement, with seven Grand Slam singles titles to her name.
Serena was a winner at the US Open in 1999, at 2002 Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the US Open and 2003 Australian Open, each time beating Venus; 2003 Wimbledon, once again defeating sister Venus, in Australia in 2005 and 2007, and at the 2008 US Open.
Moreover Williams won 2 Olympic Gold medals, both playing doubles with Venus - in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008.
She holds 32 singles titles and 14 doubles titles.
Serena passed the one million dollar mark at the 1999 Roland Garros, later exceeding the 10 million mark in the year 2002 and 20 million mark in the year 2008, both at the WTA Championships.
Serena Williams faces Russia's Dinara Safina for the Australian Open title on Saturday.
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News / Gossips by Mandyjo69
