First female athlete to earn $50 million in prize money

Serena Williams (USA) took her career earnings beyond $50 million (£30.9 million) when she won the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York, USA, on 8 September 2013. No female athlete in any sport has earned more in prize money alone. Williams' total career earnings stood at $51,738,481 (£32 million) as of 21 October 2013. Williams has won 32 Grand Slam titles (17 singles, 13 doubles, two mixed doubles) and 57 WTA Tour titles in total since turning professional in September 1995 (totals correct to 27 October 2013).

Williams' career earnings of $51.7 million is $22.1 million (£13.6 million) more than sister Venus Williams (USA), who is second on the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) "Million Dollar Club" list on $28,961,235 million (£17,934,438 million). Although Maria Sharapova (Russia) remained at the top of Forbes' list of the highest-paid female athletes in 2013, her tennis earnings are dwarfed by her sponsorship deals and she sits third on the list with total career earnings of $26,695,845 (£16,531,580). All conversions calculated as of 21 October 2013, the date the WTA published its latest "Million Dollar Club" list.

Serena Williams' winnings at the 2013 US Open and the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, took her season's prize money beyond $10 million (£6.1 million, as of 27 October 2013) – only Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have earned more in a single tennis season.