Wimbledon prize money: Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to take career earnings past $70m
Serena Williams took her career earnings over $70m (£45m) with a swift straight sets semi-final win over Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon today.
In an easier (and quicker) victory than against British competitor Heather Watson last week, Williams won 6-2, 6-4.
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The iconic five-time champion reached the Wimbledon final for an eighth time where she will have the chance to win her sixth singles title, 21st major singles title and the so-called "Serena Slam" – all four Grand Slams held at the same time.
Oh, and there's the little matter of the guaranteed £940,000 ($1.45m) prize money the All England Club awards to singles finalists.
The tennis titan is already the highest-earning women and second-highest earning player in Wimbledon history with $8.99m made from her 15 trips to SW19.
A 17th consecutive victory over Sharapova this afternoon – a run that dates back to 2004, the same year the Russian last won Wimbledon – boosts that total to $9.72m.
Only seven-time champion Roger Federer has won more.
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This year's tournament boasts the biggest prize money paycheques in tennis history with £1.88m ($2.9m) awarded to singles winners from an overall prize pool of £26.8m ($41.27m).
With six Australian Open titles, three from Roland Garros, six at the US Open and five Wimbledon championships – Williams is the highest earning women in the sport's history with career prize money of $69.7m.
Her vanquished opponent today has the second-largest career prize money winnings but is still a way off with $35m heading into this year's tournament.
Sharapova, who has twice reached the Wimbledon final but also suffered a series of second and fourth-round exits, has made $3.6m from the competition including this year's £407,000 ($723,300) reward.
Both champions have been among the first generation of female players competing for equal pay to the men – a measure introduced by the All England Club in 2007.
Steffi Graf, who won Wimbledon a record seven times between 1988 and 1996, made just over $2.6m from her titles.