Sindhu Pusarla, a star
Despite practicing an unpopular sport, the 23-year-old overcame Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber on the payroll of the world's best-paid athletes. He has not yet won a world or Olympic title, and competes in an unpopular sport like badminton. However, at only 23 years old, the Indian figure as the seventh best paid athlete in the world: news she received with a smile, but not with surprise.
Speaking to international media at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Sindhu Pusarla said she is delighted to be so high on the list of Forbes, behind six well-known tennis players, with Serena Williams at number one.
"Well, it feels good, nice and happy, when I saw the news, it was like saying, 'Well, I'm one of them,'" Sindhu told AFP. "Money always goes to the bank, so I do not have much information about it, but I think being on that list with some important names is reason enough to smile," he added.
Sindhu became a well-known name in her country of origin, with a population of 1.3 billion, after the 2016 Olympic Games, when she became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal. It brought an avalanche of sponsors, from sports drinks to mobile phones and car tires. According to media company Forbes, it earned $ 8.5 million between June 2017 and June 2018, including $ 8 million in sponsorships and $ 500,000 in prizes.
Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, topped the Forbes list with $ 18.1 million. Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams were the other players listed above than Sindhu. However, the Hyderabad native was one step higher than the current world number one in tennis, Simona Halep. He also outclassed Nascar driver Danica Patrick and experienced WTA number 4 Angelique Kerber.
Sindhu, number three in the world of badminton, was recently criticized when she lost her fourth consecutive final in the world championship against Spanish Carolina Marin. Sindhu also lost in the final of the Commonwealth Games to Nehwal, and fell in the last hurdle at both the Indian Open and the Thailand Open. But she said that she was not very worried about the results. "Losing is part of life, you lose something and you gain something, I have to take it on a positive note, I hope to be stronger with every loss," Sindhu concluded.
