Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Justine Henin have more in common than simply playing tennis.

According to Forbes, these four women are the top earning female athletes in the world.

Maria Sharapova leads the list of the highest earning female sports figures with an endorsement portfolio that includes big names such as Pepsi, Colgate-Palmolive, Nike, Canon and Motorola. Her total earnings are now estimated at $26 million per year.

Before Sharapova became a teenage sensation in 2004, Serena Williams held the distinction of being the richest female athlete. Now, eight years later, she is second behind Sharapova, but still brings home $14 million.

2008 Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is just behind her younger sister Serena with $13 million. Part of her earnings can be attributed to her successful EleVen line, although this could be threatened by Steve & Barry’s recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Coming in at fourth place on the top earning list is the newly-retired Justine Henin. Forbes estimates Henin’s yearly worth at $12.5 million—$5 million of which she earned by winning titles in 2007.

Rising star and current world number one Ana Ivanovic made the list at No. 9 with $6.5 million dollars.

Venus Williams won her seventh Grand Slam title on Saturday with a decisive victory over her sister Serena at Wimbledon.

Read Venus’ comments about winning her fifth Venus Rosewater dish and whether this win signals the start of another era of dominance by the Williams family in excerpts from her post-championship press conference.

Q. How concerned were you early? She came out in a ferocious mood, playing well.
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, this is the Wimbledon final, so of course I expected her to play that well. And, of course, I mean, she’s Serena Williams. She can pull out anything. I did expect her to just be all over anything I put out there. But I didn’t really think a lot; I just kept playing, and it wasn’t looking that great, you know. 3-1, 4-2, but then when it got to be even it was closer.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about the conditions, which were obviously pretty awkward. I mean, you kept pulling out of your serve. Serena didn’t seem to pull out of her serves at all.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was windy, and the wind kept blowing and swirling. The longer the match went on, it kept changing directions. At first, it was only windy on one side, then it was windy on both. I could see the wind blowing on her side, but it wasn’t windy on my side yet. So, you know, it was tough out there, but I just needed to take my time until I got a good toss.

Q. What is your approach to the post-match celebration on court, and how does it differ when you play Serena versus anybody else?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, because I think that — when the match is that close it’s obviously more exciting to win. And, of course, if it’s a 6-2, 6-3 win, the celebration isn’t as elated because you’re just cruising to glory. But I was pretty excited about that win because it was so close. You know, I’m definitely more in tune with my sister’s feelings because one of us has to win and one of us has to lose. Of course the celebration isn’t as exciting because my sister just lost.

Q. To what degree, if any, does that detract from your enjoyment of the moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, you could never detract from winning a Wimbledon (smiling). So, of course it doesn’t detract from that. But I’m definitely thinking about how my sister’s feeling.

Q. You’re only the third, if I’m correct, along with Martina Navratilova and Graf, to win as many as five Wimbledons in the modern era. What do you think of that? Does that make you think, I’m up there with the all-time greats, anything like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think definitely winning this tournament so many times definitely puts you in the stratosphere, to be honest, just because of what this tournament means. I think had I had this achievement at any other tournament it would have been awesome, but not nearly the same meaning at Wimbledon. I think the difference is just because of the prestige of this event.

Q. An all-Williams final. Is this a start of a second era of dominance for the sisters at the top of the women’s game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I would love that. The main goal for both of us is to stay healthy. We’ve both worked really hard this year, and I think the results showed here, both in the singles and the doubles. So the goal is to stay healthy so that way we can play singles and doubles and have a lot of fun with it.

Q. Besides the number of Wimbledon titles, can you let us into any of the things that motivated you tennis-wise in the recent past that raised your level between the French and now to do so well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uhm, I just feel like a lot of times I’m unlucky at the French. I come in with a sickness or injury, and I try to win, but I’m just not lucky. I find that happens a lot at the French and the Australian. A couple of times here, too, when I had my early losses. But, I mean, obviously coming off those losses I’m just like, This can’t be my life; I have to do better. So I think that’s what motivates me.

Q. You seem to be able to keep yourself fresh not doing as many tournaments.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I’ve had my fair share of downtimes. I try to stay as fresh as I can, with God’s blessing.

Q. You’ve earned the right to go home and put the racquet down and indulge yourself for as long as you want before Los Angeles. What are you going to do?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I can’t wait to see my dog. I love that little guy. He’s my favorite. My favorite dog ever. I have to play TeamTennis, so I’ll do that. I want to take a break from eating five meals a day. I’m gonna cut back and eat a light breakfast and maybe two meals, not five and six meals like every day I have.

Q. Can you tell us a little about your morning, the day before the match. Did you spend some time together with Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, we said, Okay, we’re eating breakfast. We always have lunch for breakfast to stay fueled. We’re both trying to choke it down. Okay, only two more matches. This is the last time we have to do this. Just encouraging each other. Just that, you know, we’re eating lunch again, two lunches before the match. It’s like, It’s the last time. It’s okay. That’s pretty much the atmosphere beforehand. Just still encouraging each other, not with specific advice like, Yes, serve me body, okay, because that’ll work good for you. None of that. But still encouraging each other to eat and be healthy.

Q. You’ve been training seriously or playing professional tennis for 18 years of your life now. Do you and Serena sometimes sit down and reminisce about the journey you’ve made from Compton, California, to the finals at Wimbledon?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, actually this morning I was just saying — I was asking Serena if she remembered the match when, I don’t know, I was in Sydney playing some match and Serena was watching my match and she finds out that she’s gonna be on court in about 10 minutes, and so she runs from my match to go play her match.

We were just talking about that. That was maybe in ‘98. So we do sometimes talk about the things in the past, just some of the things that have happened have been so amazing that we definitely draw a lot of energy and inspiration from it.

Venus had not beaten Serena in a Grand Slam singles final since their very first major championship at the 2001 US Open.

Venus, the elder of the Williams sisters, had to overcome a tentative start to win her fifth Championships at Wimbledon title. Serena raced to an early lead in the opening set, but could not deny her sister an opportunity to win her seventh career Grand Slam title.

“I can’t believe that it is five, but when you are in the final against Serena Williams five seems so far away from that first point,” said Venus during the trophy ceremony. “She played so awesome, it was really a task to beat her.”

This was the sixteenth career meeting between the two sisters, who are now tied 8-8 after Venus’ victory at Wimbledon.

Because she successfully defended her 2007 title, Venus is assured of holding onto the No. 7 spot on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings. Serena Williams will rise to No. 5.

Over the past two weeks, they have been asked countless questions about their relationship.

Serena about whether Venus is the favorite for the title:
“I would never sit here and say she’s the favorite when I’m still in the draw. What are you on?”

Venus on the allegations of a “fix” for Saturday’s final:
“The main thing is that I find the question pretty offensive because I’m extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court. I contribute my best in my sport, and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family. So any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family.”

Serena on what breakfast will be like at their flat on Saturday:
“I’m going to sabotage her and eat all the breakfast. I’ll eat all the Wheaties so she doesn’t have any chance.”

Venus about her role as the big sister:
“That’s my job. That’s a huge part of my life, is being a big sister. I love that job. It makes me really proud. I’m always happy when I can help out. It’s definitely one of the joys of my life.”

Serena on how they remain close despite having the other as competition:
“We leave everything on the court. We’re sisters the moment we shake hands.”

Serena on what it feels like to lose to Venus:
“It definitely hurts less to lose to her. I mean, I’ll be bitter, but at the end of the day it’s a lot easier to [lose] to someone that I feel I should normally beat.”

Upset was the name of the game at Wimbledon last week, opening the door to an all-Williams final–a sibling matchup that hasn’t been seen at the All England Club since 2003.

Four-time Wimbledon champ Venus Williams and two-time champ and younger sister, Serena Williams have amassed 14 Grand Slam singles titles between them – not to mention six Grand Slam double titles, and four mixed doubles titles.

Both have their eyes on the prize, with Venus looking to take home her fifth Wimbledon title, while Serena is looking to make her long-awaited comeback.

Which sister will be the last player standing?

Current Ranking:
Serena: 6
Venus: 7

Venus

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 6
Olympic gold medal in singles and doubles (2000 Sydney Olympics)

Grand Slam Wins:
Wimbledon – 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007
U.S. Open – 2000, 2001

Serena

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 8
2000 - Olympic gold medal in doubles (2000 Sydney Olympics)

Grand Slam Wins:
Australian Open - 2003, 2005, 2007
French Open - 2002
Wimbledon - 2002, 2003
US Open- 1999, 2002

Venus/Serena Grand Slam Head-to-Head Results:

1998 - Australian Open Second Round - Venus winner
2000 - Wimbledon Semifinal - Venus winner
2001 - U.S. Open Final - Venus winner
2002 - French Open Final - Serena winner
2002 - Wimbledon Final - Serena winner
2002 - U.S. Open Final - Serena winner
2003 - Australian Open Final - Serena winner
2003 - Wimbledon Final - Serena winner
2005 - U.S. Open Fourth Round - Venus winner

Other Tournament Head-to-Head Results:

1998: Italian Open - Quarterfinals - Venus winner
1999: Munich Grand Slam Cup – Final - Serena winner
1999: Lipton Championships (Miami) – Final - Venus winner
2002: NASDAQ-100 Open (Miami) - Semifinals - Serena winner
2005: NASDAQ-100 Open (Miami) – Quarterfinals - Venus winner
2008: Bangalore (India) Open – Semifinals - Serena winner

Paula Vergara is an experienced tennis journalist, who has worked as a regular contributor to On the Baseline Tennis News, USTA New England Magazine, and New England Sports Magazine. To view her work, visit her blog at www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.

She will play a familiar face in the championship round—her younger sister Serena Williams.

Saturday’s match will be the seventh All-Williams Grand Slam final and third at the Championships.

Dementieva was overpowered from the beginning by Venus Williams’ first serve and converted only one of seven break points. Venus’ serves frequently exceeded 120mph, edging close to her own Wimbledon record of 127mph.

The Russian fifth seed managed to force a tiebreak in the second set, but Venus advanced into the championship round on her first match point when a forehand by Dementieva ended in the net.

It was an exciting moment for the seventh seed, who improved her perfect semifinal record at Wimbledon to 7-0.

“I guess it started to set in a little bit about being in the final, which is always exciting,” said Venus in her post-match press conference about her on-court celebration.

“When I’m excited I always jump. That I guess will never change. But still I felt like the tournament was not over. I’m still in the doubles tomorrow and still have that final match to play, still one step further.”

Serena Williams outlasted Chinese wild card Jie Zheng and two rain delays to join her sister in the final. Serena appeared on track for a quick win, but Zheng staged a last minute comeback during the second set.

Zheng, ranked at No. 133rd in the world, held a set point at 6-5, but Serena stormed back to take the tie break and match 6-2, 7-6(5) after Zheng double-faulted on Williams’ first match point.

This is a developing story. Please check back soon for more details.

Elena Dementieva and Jie Zheng have a monumental task ahead of them on Thursday in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

(5) Elena Dementieva vs. (7) Venus Williams
Venus Williams feels so at home on Centre Court that she has stopped just short of calling it her house. Wimbledon is the site of some of her fondest tennis memories, and now she is only one match away from playing her seventh final at the Championships–one that will be even more special if she plays her sister.

Venus avoided a semifinal meeting with the highest seed in the top quarter of the draw, but Maria Sharapova’s countrywoman might be even more dangerous. At least with Sharapova, Venus would have known what to expect, but against Dementieva it is anyone’s guess. The Dementieva who sets foot on Centre Court might be confident and aggressive–or nervous and erratic.

Either way, I don’t expect this to be a cakewalk semifinal for Venus. For all Dementieva’s faults, she does have an aggressive baseline game and will make Venus hit extra balls from angles all over the court. The serve will be crucial for both women, especially if Dementieva starts to feel the pressure of the moment.

If Dementieva is going to reach her first major final in four years, she has to play one of the best matches of her career.
Venus Williams in three sets

(6) Serena Williams vs. Jie Zheng
“Grass is a great equalizer,” former No. 1 Ivan Lendl said. “On a bad day, you can lose to anyone.” Justine Henin learned this lesson the hard way in the semifinals last year against Marion Bartoli, and Serena Williams will do well to remember that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

At this stage, Jie Zheng is playing with nothing to lose. Her ranking was so low that she needed a wild card just to enter the singles event, but she has knocked out three seeds in succession, including world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic. The past ten days have been a modern Cinderella story for the Chinese 24-year-old, who had never before gone past the third round at the Championships.

Unfortunately for her, the next seed in her path will be the steeliest one yet. Serena Williams has hit her groove, which she proved by dismissing the hard-hitting Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets to reach the semifinals. Williams’ serve is winning her more free points than anyone else at Wimbledon, as she leads the field with thirty-four aces in just five matches.

It was a huge surprise when Marion Bartoli reached the final last year, but that will pale in comparison if Zheng ousts Serena Williams on Thursday. While I agree that grass is the great equalizer, the scales are not as evenly balanced when the No. 133rd-ranked player in the world has to face an eight-time major winner on one of her best surfaces for a spot in a Grand Slam championship match.
Serena Williams in two sets

Justine Henin’s retirement from professional tennis in May shocked the tennis world as the Belgian star left the sport at the top of her game.

The former world No. 1 quit on her own terms, but has now conceded that she still has one regret after ending her stellar career which included seven major titles.

Speaking with the Laureus World Sports Academy, Justine admitted that not winning Wimbledon was the biggest disappointment of her career.

“It has been the big disappointment of my career,” Henin said. “But my game wasn’t quite good enough and I probably wasn’t confident enough to win on the grass.”

She came devastatingly close on two occasions, but lost the final in 2001 to Venus Williams and again to Amelie Mauresmo in 2006. Her biggest shock at Wimbledon was her semifinal upset last year by Marion Bartoli—Henin’s last defeat for the rest of the 2007 season.

Although she has no immediate plans to return for another shot at the elusive career slam, Henin has not completely closed the door on making a comeback to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

“I can never say for sure that I’ll never be back because I hate to say never,” Henin said. “But when I do something, I do it 200%, and when I decide it’s over, it’s over.”

Her own tennis career may be over, but Henin is staying involved with the sport. She has been working with her long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez at their new academy, where she will play a crucial role in helping motivate the next generation of tennis players.

In the meanwhile, she still follows the happenings on the professional tour and has tapped Venus Williams as the favorite for the 2008 Wimbledon title.

“I keep thinking that Venus is the best player on grass,” said Henin about the woman she lost to seven times. “She’s big and tall so, for me, she’s the favourite.”

The two-time Grand Slam finalist advanced to the final four with a 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory.

It was a memorable win for Dementieva, who headed into the match with a losing 4-7 record against Petrova. She struggled with closing out the match in the second set, but recovered after losing the tie break.

Facing Dementieva in her first semifinal at the Championships is four-time champion Venus Williams. Williams handily advanced to her seventh career Wimbledon semifinal with a straight sets 6-4, 6-3 win over veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn.

Will Venus and Serena Williams keep their dreams of an all-Williams final alive on Tuesday? Or should we expect to see a quartet of surprise semifinalists in the next round?

(5) Elena Dementieva vs. (21) Nadia Petrova
This match at least guarantees that a player from Russia will reach the semifinals, but what woman will it be? This is neither woman’s best surface, as they both have only reached the quarterfinals one time in their careers.

Not surprisingly, the pair shares a long history of tough matches, but Petrova leads their record 7-4, including both of their meetings on grass. This will be a nervy match between two Fed Cup teammates and I expect the edge to swing slightly in favor of Dementieva, as long as she can keep the double-faults down to a bare minimum.
Elena Dementieva in three sets

(6) Serena Williams vs. (14) Agnieszka Radwanska
Radwanska will be Serena’s toughest opponent yet at this year’s tournament. The Polish teenager is quickly gaining a reputation as a Grand Slam giant killer. She dismantled Kuznetsova’s erratic game on Monday to reach the quarterfinals, though she will need to be far more consistent against Serena.

Agnieszka got away with a short-term lapse in concentration during the second set against Svetlana, but Serena Williams will not as generous, especially with her service games.
Serena Williams in three sets

(7) Venus Williams vs. Tamarine Tanasugarn
Venus Williams should thank Tanasugarn for defeating Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round because Jelena and Venus’ last six matches have gone to three sets. On paper, the Thai veteran looks like an easy win for Venus, yet she cannot make the mistake of underestimating Tanasugarn’s crafty game on grass.

Venus has won all six of their previous matches in straight sets, but Tanasugarn has posted eleven straight wins on grass—the same number as the 2007 Wimbledon champion.
Venus Williams in two sets

(18) Nicole Vaidisova vs. Jie Zheng
For six months the tennis world has been buzzing about Nicole Vaidisova’s relationship with Radek Stepanek, her slump which appeared to be worsening by the tournament, and her coaching split from her stepfather, Alec Kodat.

Now Vaidisova is on the verge of reaching her third Grand Slam semifinal, only weeks after snapping a losing streak that extended to five consecutive first rounds. She kept her cool against an emotional Anna Chakvetadze in the fourth round, which should help remind her critics why she used to be one of the Tour’s best in three set matches. Meanwhile, Jie Zheng is only the fourth player in the history of women’s tennis to reach the quarterfinals as a wild card.
Nicole Vaidisova in two sets