Serena Williams named in Forbes' 2021 list of 100 most powerful women in the worldÂ
Serena Williams has been named among the 'World's 100 Most Powerful Women' by Forbes, after the business magazine released its annual list on Tuesday. The American sits at No. 85 and is the only athlete to feature on the prestigious list.
Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott has claimed the top position amongst the world's most powerful women, while the United States' vice-president Kamala Harris has bagged the second spot. Christine Lagarde, Mary Barra and Melinda French Gates also comprise the top 5 women on the list.
Williams, who was featured under the 'Media and Entertainment' category, has been included in the distinguished list for the third time. After making her debut on Forbes' list in 2018, ranked #79, the 23-time Grand Slam champion was also a part of the 2019 edition.
In her profile, Forbes highlighted her investments in 66 startups through her brainchild - 'Serena Ventures' - and how she has nearly 20 corporate partners. Williams' recent TV deal with Amazon Studios, which includes a docuseries about her, was also mentioned in the profile.
Unsurprisingly, this is not the only list by Forbes that the 40-year-old has featured on this year. Williams is ranked No. 98 among 'America's Richest Self-Made Women' and the 'World's Highest-Paid Celebrities'. Her colossal earnings of $41.5 million both on and off the court have also made her the 28th richest athlete in 2021.
Serena Williams' $94 million in career prize money is twice as much as any other female athlete has earned.
A look back at Serena Williams' 2021 season
Serena Williams kickstarted her 2021 season with a terrific run to the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals. However, the former World no. 1 experienced a lackluster clay-court season, including a fourth-round exit at Roland Garros.
The American looked set to challenge for her eighth title at Wimbledon. However, a hamstring injury during her first-round match at the All England Club sidelined her for the remainder of the tournament and season.
In a recent appearance at a talk-show, Serena Williams confirmed that she will be participating at the upcoming Australian Open. She has been using her time off-court to promote her father's biopic, 'King Richard', which is currently running in theaters across the US, UK and Canada.
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