By progressing to the second round of the Australian Open, current world number fifty-one Lindsay Davenport has become the highest earning female tennis player ever on the WTA tennis circuit.

Davenport has now earned a staggering US$21,987,501 (AU$25.15 million) in prize money since becoming a professional tennis player in March 1993.

The former world-number one has surpassed Steffi Graf on the all time prize money list by a meagre $2,224.

“I'm ecstatic,” Davenport said after being broken the news. “I never thought I'd be back playing tennis and having this much fun in the process, let alone breaking any records. When I picked up my first prize money cheque at the Evert Cup in Indian Wells in 1993, I never, ever thought it would have led to all this.

“Women's tennis has grown tremendously in those 15 years, and we the players have the fans and our sponsors to thank for that. I am extremely proud to have reached this milestone for female athletes all around the world and to have taken over from Steffi Graf, one of the greatest players ever to play our sport, well that's just the icing on the cake.”

In her fifteen year professional tennis career, Davenport has won fifty-four singles titles including three grand slams, as well as thirty-eight doubles titles.

Tags: Tennis