2009  has been a lucrative year for Serena Williams.  The #1 ranked female tennis player in the world has earned more money this year than any other  player in history of women’s tennis.

See how much she earned.

Tennis great Serena Williams could be fined more than $500,000 and barred from participating in the next Grand Slam tennis event for her appearance in the ESPN the Magazine Body Issue.

According to YBF.com, the International Tennis Federation “is not amused” with her posing nude in the magazine.  Moreover, issues remain with her tirade against an official during the 2009 US.Open last September .

Serena Still Hanging in Australian Open Three-time Australian Open champ Serena Williams has advanced to  face No. 8-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the quarterfinals after he opponent withdrew Sunday after an apparent battle with heatstroke. Victoria Azarenka, the 19-year-old from Belarus, started the match strong, defeating the normally powerful Williams 6-3 in the first set. “I feel so bad; she was playing so well,” Williams said in a brief interview with Australian television. “She can’t risk it, so I hope she did the right thing. She’s obviously playing really well and has so many other Australian Opens out there for her.” Azarenka began to cry, covered her face with her left hand as she walked toward the net and retired from the match. Williams was there to meet her as the crowd cheered supportively. Azarenka was then helped off court, still distraught, by two officials. No details of her condition were immediately available, although the tournament director, Craig Tiley, said that she had been ill the night before.

It’s a Philly Affair in Memphis Former 76ers guard Lionel Hollins, who took over as head coach of the Grizzlies after replacing another former Sixer Marc Ivaroni, attempted to have two other former Philadelphia Sixers join him on the bench as coaches: Johnny Davis, a former Sixers coach, and Maurice Cheeks who was Hollins backcourt mate back in the day and the most recently fired Sixer head coach. Initially, Cheeks indicated that he would join Hollins, but he recently declined the offer. “But he decided he wanted a little more time to himself,” Hollins said. “I certainly understand that. He’ll have opportunities later.” The Philadelphia Daily News reports that Hollins said he wanted two experienced men with him ”who will have huge responsibility, who have the right to stop a practice and coach because they know what to look for. I’m not egotistical. I know basketball, but I also know the value of having good people around you.”

Serena Williams will lose her No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis to Jelena Jankovic after her loss at the Porsche Grand Prix. Falling to the same Chinese competitor who bounced her sister Venus from the Olympics singles match-ups, Williams says she made “a lot of errors.” Li Na advances past Williams in the Stuttgart, Germany tournament. “Obviously, I want to be No. 1, but I am not focusing on that,” says Williams. “I am focusing on winning titles, and that goes hand-in-hand.” Venus Williams has stayed alive in the contest after her win on Tuesday.

Tony Parker wonders why they call him big papa. Echoing his actress wife Eva Longoria Parker’s denials that her recent weight-gain was due to pregnancy, a hoops star says he’s puzzled. “We don’t wanna hide it,” San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker says of the baby speculation. Parker says he’d be glad to share news of his wife’s pregnancy – if it were true. “I don’t know why people keep asking us,” he adds. Maybe they’re hinting that Mrs. Parker shouldn’t drink beer.

Josh Howard on YouTube controversy: “That’s not me.”

A contrite Josh Howard says he’s sorry for offending fans and hopes to win them back after he was caught on video dissing the national anthem. Howard can be seen on YouTube video at fellow NBA player Allen Iverson’s celebrity flag football game this summer as the “Star Spangled Banner” is performed, saying: “I don’t celebrate that s–t. I’m Black.” Howard has since changed his tune, claiming that he was joking. “I know that’s not me,” he says. “I love this country. If it wasn’t for this country, I wouldn’t be out here playing basketball. For me to have that opportunity is the greatest.” He adds that he attended military school and that the widely viewed video doesn’t represent him. “That’s not Josh Howard,” says the Dallas forward. “That was an idiot.” Howard insists that he’ll win back any fans he’s lost. “Whatever it takes for me to do it, I’m going to do it,” he says.

Tennis phenom holds court in Germany. Venus Williams has moved into the second round of the Porsche Grand Prix after beating Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Williams is appearing in the German tournament for the first time in 10 years. “She hit some great shots, but my experience helped me,” Williams says of her Tuesday win. She ranks as a sixth seed in the competition and will next face Katerina Bondarenko.

Sports camp organizer said to have conned parents out of cash. The same Michigan man who cops had to help escape an angry crowd at a high school football game this week has been arrested. Anthony Bolden, 48, allegedly conned parents out of $17,000 by accepting cash from parents of youth who’d hoped to participate in a University of Michigan football camp. Cops say Bolden took the money, then wrote a bad check to cover the camp’s expenses. Parents were forced to pay a second registration fee in order to have their children attend the camp. Bolden is charged with five counts of larceny and has 40 criminal complaints pending against him.

Sisters snatch gold medal for tennis doubles.

Venus and Serena Williams have proved they’re twice as nice after being eliminated from Olympics singles competition last week. The sisters captured a gold medal in the doubles tournament on Sunday after beating Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0. “I’m so excited, I can’t even speak,” Venus says. “To share this kind of moment with your sister, it never grows old.”

Sisters are knocked out of Olympics singles, Blake advances.

Not only won’t Venus and Serena Williams have a one-on-one title rematch in the Olympics, neither will compete for a medal. After saying earlier this week that a tennis singles showdown to follow their Wimbledon face-off would be “fantastic,” Venus and her sister both lost quarter-finals match-ups Thursday in Beijing. Venus, who won Wimbledon, fell to China’s Li Na, while Serena lost to Russia’s Elena Dementieva. The sisters can still capture a gold in doubles competition as they did at the 2000 Games in Sydney. While the siblings were upset, James Blake did some upsetting when he beat Roger Federer in straight sets. Blake moves on, leaving Federer two titles shy of Pete Sampras’ record of 12.

Steve & Barry’s to pay Venus Williams $250,000. Venus Williams will get $250,000 from the bankrupt Steve & Barry’s LLC apparel chain under terms of her clothing line contract. Williams’ Eleven designs were licensed with Steve & Barry’s, but the company hopes to sell itself at an auction this month. A bankruptcy court has determined that the corporation can pay Williams who’s expected to wear the apparel while competing in the Olympics, just as she wore the designs while winning her recent Wimbledon title. Judge Allan Gropper determined the settlement. NBA player Ben Wallace is also owed cash by the company.

Joint NFL practice results in scrap between players.

Titans, Rams have pre-season skirmish. Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams players are starting their rivalry in the pre-season. The teams had a scrap Wednesday during a joint practice after Rams receiver Reche Caldwell reportedly grabbed cornerback Cortland Finnegan and threw him to the ground. The teams have a history of tense, joint practices dating back to 2000. Two more plays during the practice found Rams and Titans lashing out at each other on the St. Louis field. But receiver Torry Holt calls it a healthy sign: “After a while, it kind of got excessive as far as the banging and guys trying us. We needed that. That’s something we’re trying to build on is…our mental toughness.” No one was hurt in the skirmishes.

Celtics will face Lakers on ABC. The NBA has announced its highly rated Christmas Day game schedule. Of five contests, the highlight ABC broadcast will be a rematch between the defending champ Boston Celtics and the team they defeated for the title in June, Los Angeles. The Lakers will try and redeem themselves for the beating they took against Boston in one of the most traditionally fierce championship rivalries. Maybe Kobe can play well enough to keep Shaq from performing another freestyle.

Williams sisters continue advancing through Wimbledon

Sisters Venus and Serena Williams will compete on Wimbledon’s Court No. 2 today, both having knocked out competitors at the British tournament last week. Venus faces Alisa Kleybanova, while Serena will take on Bethanie Mattek. Serena recently criticized player Justin Gimelstob for offensive radio comments Gimelstob made about player-turned-model Anna Kournikova. Meanwhile, the sisters have also commented on their support for presidential candidate Barack Obama, though they don’t vote due to religious beliefs. But it’s been all business on the court. Venus tells the L.A. Times: “I think the down side to having a sister on tour is if she’s as good as you are.”

Buffalo running back finally admits to hit-run accident.
A Buffalo Bills player has lost his driver’s license after finally acknowledging that he doesn’t only run into bodies on the field. Marshawn Lynch claims his lawyer’s advice is what kept him from coming forward after a May 31 hit-and-run accident involving a downtown Buffalo pedestrian. Lynch’s New York license was revoked last week after Judge Thomas Gagola found that his actions “constituted a reckless disregard of human life or property.” Lynch’s Porsche Cayenne struck a 27-year-old Canadian woman in Buffalo’s bar district and immediately left the scene, leaving cops to determine who was driving. The woman received stitches and is considering a lawsuit. “It was raining real hard, there was a dancing pedestrian in the middle of the street,” Lynch says. “I slowed down to let her go and continued on my way home. I didn’t know my car had hit anyone or anything.” The running back had only had his New York license for a day. His lawyer Michael Caffery calls the revocation, which is indefinite, “a little harsh.” Kind of like getting bruised by an SUV, maybe?

Tennis star disposes of 17-year-old from Poland

Serena Williams has knocked out her second competitor in the Wimbledon tennis competition. Like Williams, Poland’s Urszula Radwanska has an older sister who’s also a tennis ace. But unlike Williams, Radwanska has yet to capture a Grand Slam title. Williams defeated the 17-year-old Tuesday as defending Wimbledon champ Venus Williams watched from courtside. Venus signed tennis balls for fans as she encouraged Serena’s victory.

O’Neal-Ford trade kicks off Draft deals
The Indiana Pacers sent Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for T.J. Ford and the No. 17 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Will this be the first of many trades on Draft day? Find out more at Playa Hater.

Meanwhile… There’s A New Class of Baller Being Recruited
Kansas’ Michael Beasley, Memphis’ Derrick Rose and USC’s O.J. Mayo are expected to be the National Basketball Association’s top recruits for ’08. The NBA draft takes place at 7 p.m. today. Chicago and Miami stand to improve their rosters with top picks. Observers expect that, for the first time since the ‘60s, guards could be the first two players selected. Trade moves are likely to begin immediately after the draft gets underway.