PV Sindhu the only Indian in Forbes' Top 10 highest paid female athletes list

Forbes has come up with a well-researched list of the highest paid female athletes of 2018. India's elite badminton player, PV Sindhu has managed to find a place among the Top 10 coming in at 7th. She is the only Indian to feature on the list. Additionally, her presence on the list holds another unique distinction - she is only one among two non-tennis female sportspersons to feature on the list. The other sportswoman who does not hail from a Tennis background is Danica Patrick - often regarded as one of the most successful female race car drivers of all time. The US Open, way back in 1973, made a move so bold that it was practically unheard of in the world of sports. It advocated equal pay for both male and female players. Decades have passed since then, the legitimacy of equal pay now has more supporters than over- yet

tennis remains the highest earning source for a female athlete. That may be because it has continued to provide a viable source of income for women who are willing to pursue a career in sports. Things still may be in a slight dis balance when it comes to earnings in Grand Slams, but at least, the difference is not so high as to be perceived as entirely in a different league than that of men's tennis. The official article on Forbes, however, stated the NBA as one of the prime examples to highlight the wage gap when it comes to athletes of different genders. The female counterpart of the league, the WNBA, has players being paid a salary of 1/100th of what the male basketball stars earn through the League and endorsement salaries. Predictably, Serena Williams tops the list which is very disappointing in the current context. She has a total earning of a mere amount of $62,000 in prize money this year. It might be worth remembering that she did not compete for the entirety of 2018, but the fact that she tops the list in market value is a big eye opener that women's sports receive far lesser financial support than it ideally should. Serena's maximum earnings this year have been through endorsements. Coming to PV Sindhu, the 23-year old Indian badminton player has not looked back since her historical women's singles medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics put her into the limelight.

With total prize money earnings of $500,000 and an additional $8 million through endorsements, her 7th position on the list is a source of both pride and revelation for the silent Indian spectators back home. As Forbes writes in an explanation to her 7th position, "The Indian badminton player burst on the scene with a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was the first Indian female athlete to win silver. The 23-year-old has a robust sponsor roster with Bridgestone, Gatorade, Nokia, Panasonic, Reckitt Benckiser and a half-dozen other brands." The trend is common. More than a sport, female athletes and their sustenance predominantly depend on endorsements. It is not viable for them to count on a sport. For now, let's just congratulate PV Sindhu on her 7th placing on the list as it is only her game which continues to see her in the limelight.