Serena Williams may have been second best at the French Open on Saturday but the American has moved ahead of fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova to top the women’s earnings list in sports, according to Forbes Magazine.

Williams ended the Russian’s 11-year reign as the world number one women’s money earner in sports by hauling in $28.9 million in combined prize money and off-field earnings over the past 12 months, the magazine said yesterday.

Sharapova, who lost some sponsorship money after announcing she had tested positive for the recently banned substance meldonium and is provisionally suspended, holds second spot at $21.9 million.

American mixed martial arts standout Ronda Rousey shot up to third on the list at $14 million from eighth place and $6.5m, just ahead of compatriot and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, who earned $13.9m, according to www.forbes.com.

The rest of the women’s top 10 were also tennis players.

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska ranked fifth at $10.2m followed by Caroline Wozniacki ($8m), Spain’s newly-crowned French Open champion Garbine Muguruza ($7.6m), Ana Ivanovic ($7.4m), Victoria Azarenka ($6.6m) and Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard ($6.2m).

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