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Maria Sharapova Beats Serena Williams in Forbes Celebrity List

Tennis player Sharapova was the only Russian to appear on this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Vincent Kessler / Reuters

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has ranked 63rd on this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 list, beating her fierce rival, U.S. player Serena Williams, by six places.

The annual list — whose latest installment runs from June 1, 2013, to June 1, 2014 — ranks stars from the worlds of movies and television, music, sports, books and modeling based on their fame and earnings during the past 12 months, Forbes said Monday on its website.

Earnings are estimated after speaking to "in-the-know figures," while fame is calculated by how many times the celebrity's name appears in print, on television or radio — as well as their pulling power on social networks, Forbes added.

This year, U.S. singer Beyonce topped the rankings after bringing in a total of $115 million from arena tours, the release of a new album, and her continued endorsement of several big-name brands, according to Forbes.

Joining Beyonce in the list's top three were U.S. basketball star LeBron James, who accrued an estimated $72 million in the past year, and music producer Dr. Dre, who earned a whopping $620 million in 2014 — more than anyone else in the history of the list.

Tennis player Sharapova was the only Russian to appear on the list, coming in 63rd place with?  estimated annual earnings of $24 million.

That puts her six places above fierce tennis rival Williams, who pulled in $22 million in winnings and endorsements last year. They were the only two female tennis stars on the list.

Sharapova, who was born in the Ural Mountain city of Nyagan, moved to Florida at the age of 7 and now resides permanently in the U.S.

The 27-year-old star was on Monday knocked out of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, where she was vying for the women's trophy — 10 years after she won her first Grand Slam title by beating Williams on the same courts.

See also:

Sharapova Primed for Wimbledon After Williams Exit

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