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Wednesday November 4, 2009

Prize money milestones

* In 1971 total Tour prize money for 19 events was US$309,100. By 2009, it had grown to more than US$86mil at the Tour’s 55 events (including the four Grand Slam tournaments, which are not operated by the Tour)

* Billie Jean King became the first female tennis player to pass the six figure mark in single season earnings in 1971. In 2008, 143 women earned more than US$100,000 during the season.

* Chris Evert became the first women player to pass US$1mil in career earnings at the Colgate Champs in Palm Springs, CA, in 1976. Ten years later Martina Navratilova became the first woman to pass US$10mil in career earnings at the US Indoors.

* By winning the 1982 Wimbledon title, Navratilova became the all-time prize money leader in tennis, overtaking both Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors, a mantle she held until 1989. Later that year, she became the first female player to pass US$1mil in a single season finishing with US$1,475,055.

* In 1984 Navratilova surpassed the US$2mil mark in season earnings, in 1997 Martina Hingis passed the US$3mil mark, in 2003 Kim Clijsters passed the US$4mil plateau and in 2007 Justine Henin became the first woman in sports to pass US$5mil in single season earnings.

* On three occasions, a woman has been the top earner (men or women) in tennis: 1984 — Martina Navratilova, 1991 — Monica Seles and 2003 — Kim Clijsters.

* By winning the singles and doubles at the 2009 Australian Open, Serena Williams became the first professional female athlete to pass the US$23mil mark in a single professional sports league. — Reuters

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