Forbes has released its latest round of "30 Under 30" lists, and in the third annual edition, four tennis stars are in the mix: Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, and Caroline Wozniacki. The "Sports" list also includes four basketball players, including LeBron James and Brittney Griner, as well as Lionel Messi, Shaun White, and more (see below).
Overall, 23 men and seven women appear in the sports category, with 21 athletes and nine business and legal types represented. Of those 21 athletes, 15 are male. From other realms of life, players ranging from musician Bruno Mars to Mashable founder Pete Cashmore made the lineup of 450 go-getters in 15 categories.
About Sharapova, Forbes had this, in part: "There's a reason [NBC] wants her face on the [2014 Winter Olympics]: Sharapova sells. She was the world's highest-paid female athlete last year, earning $29 million, of which $23 million came from deals off the court. [Sugarpova has] estimated revenues of $6 million. 'Business has always been a passion of mine," she says. "And I have always had a sweet tooth. ... A tennis career is such a small part of life.'"
On Murray: "The Scottish Murray was a winner at Wimbledon this past summer, possibly worth tens of millions in endorsements. Especially after previous victories at the U.S. Open and London Olympics."
Pertaining to Nishikori: "Japan's top player now rakes in $9 million annually in endorsements, generally unheard of for those without a Grand Slam title."
Of Wozniacki: "Extended a lucrative deal with Adidas this year. Seventh highest-paid female athlete earned $13.6 million over the past year, about $11 million of which came from her endorsement stable."
Wozniacki's recently announced bethrothed, pro golfer Rory McIlroy, also made the list, as did tennis fan, Roger Federer friend, and (by day) pro skier Lindsey Vonn. She has dated Tiger Woods for a year now, and was gutted to tell the sports world yesterday that, due to injury, she cannot compete at February's Olympics in Sochi, Russia. That's too bad, as your Spin keeper looked forward to her potential banter beside correspondent Sharapova.
What do you think of the appearances by these four tennis stars on the Forbes list, and the omissions?
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