Chinese tennis star Li Na just took home the first Grand Slam of the year after triumphing in the Australian Open last week, but she could be eyeing another title -- that of being the richest female athlete in the world which currently belongs to Russian star Maria Sharapova.
Interestingly, the agent of Li and Sharapova thinks the Chinese can surpass the Russian's earnings this year.
In an article posted on CNN.com, Max Eisenbud said Li could beat Sharapova for the distinction. "It'll be interesting to see how that shakes up. A lot depends on how she plays and how Maria plays. But they're both in the same stratosphere, for sure."
Since 2005, Sharapova has lorded it over in the tennis world in terms of earnings according to Forbes. But with her triumph at the Australian Open, Li is in a position to get more sponsors in China, which is the most populous country in the world and boasts of the second largest economy.
In the 2013 Forbes list, Li was at number 3 behind Serena Williams and Sharapova.
Li is charming and funny, with her post-game speeches becoming the talk of the town apart from his inspired play. During the trophy presentation, she thanked her agent Eisenbud for making her wealthy and also had words for her husband Jiang Shan. She told her husband: "You are so lucky to find me!"
The CNN article also quoted Michael Stirling of the Britain-based Global Sponsors as saying that Li's lighthearted personality and her prowess in the tennis court could make her wealthier in the future by getting her more sponsors.
"Sponsors will find her progress in winning the Australian Open, together with her public persona of being fun and honest in her interviews, refreshing and engaging," he told CNN. "Winning the Australian Open will make many more people globally aware of who she is as a player and this will attract brands."
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