Srikanth Kidambi tops the list of highest earners in badminton for 2017
Srikanth Kidambi has surpassed women's single player Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan to top the chart of the highest earners in badminton for 2017, earning a total of over ₹ 95 lakhs($147,847.50). Sayaka Sato of Japan stands third overall followed by Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the fourth position.
Srikanth Kidambi created history by becoming the first Indian to win two successive Superseries titles and by entering three consecutive finals at the Indonesian Open, Singapore Open, and the Australian Open. The dream run has not only boosted his confidence and morale for the upcoming World Championship but has also made him the highest earning badminton player of the year so far.
Before his successive finals, Kidambi had won only ₹1 lakh (US$16,597.50) but it all changed after the 24-year old finished runner-up at the Singapore Open Superseries followed by consecutive title wins at Indonesian Open, and Australian Open making his total earnings of the year to amount to ₹95,30,249.85 (US$147,847.50).
The Guntur lad surpassed Women's World Number 1 Tai Tzu Ying's tally of ₹85,812,37.50 (US$133,125.00) to become the highest earning player of the year. The 24-year old is followed by Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei ($71,300) and China's Lin Dan ($69,795) at second and third respectively in the men's single category.
Tai Tzu Ying continues to head the women's singles tally even after faltering in the Indonesia and Australian Open owing to her five consecutive wins at the Superseries events. She is followed by compatriots Sayaka Sato and Nozomi Okuhara, at second and third respectively with $78,957.50 and $70,400.00.
China leads the men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles category in terms of earnings while no Indian pair has found a place in the top four of the respective categories.
