Pursuits

Serena Williams Topping the Charts

Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark to win their women's singles final match on Day fourteen of the 2014 U.S. Open on Sept. 7Photograph by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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Yesterday Serena Williams took home a $4 million check from the U.S. Open—the most money ever paid to any athlete for winning a tennis tournament. It’s a full $400,000 more than the amount Rafael Nadal earned at last year’s Open.

Winning the Open brings $3 million in prize money. Williams was eligible to earn an extra $1 million bonus because she had already won another series of tournaments this summer sponsored by Emirates Airline. At last year’s U.S. Open, Nadal also got the bonus, bringing his winnings from the tournament to $3.6 million.