Serena, Inc.: How the tennis great can remain a marketing champ off the court

As tennis great Serena Williams' career likely came to an end at the U.S. Open on Friday, some may wonder whether her pending retirement will hurt her marketability.

According to several brand and marketing experts, they shouldn't worry, noting that Williams made millions in endorsements, including $45 million in 2021 alone.

"Because of her success in sports, she is now 'The brand'," Marlo Richardson, CEO of Southern California-based Braymar Wines. "Her retirement now opens up her calendar more than ever."

The superstar's latest move shouldn't be a surprise, said entrepreneurs Richardson and Nadia Vanderhall, the CEO at The Brands And Bands Strategy Group. The pair believe Williams has always been fiercely passionate about creating her own narrative.

"One of the things that she's done consistently if you've noticed is that Serena has been an amazing storyteller, she's been talking about her move into business for years and how important it was to not just focus on tennis," Vanderhall said. "She knew that this was in her plans all along."

Here's what some business experts think 'retirement' may look like for one of the world's greatest athletes hangs up her racket for the last time.

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Is Serena Williams retiring?

Many fans are in an "I will believe it when I see it mode," even though Williams, who turns 41 next month and is a 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion, has all but said the U.S. Open might be her last tournament in both an article on Vogue.com, on a recent podcast with good friend Meghan Markle and other interviews.

"Obviously I’m retiring professionally, but it’s also an evolution. I’m doing more business things,” Williams told Markle on the podcast.

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What is Serena Williams' net worth?

Williams has a net worth of $260 million and has made an estimated $94 million playing tennis - the most ever for a female athlete, according to Forbes. Her older sister, Venus Williams, is the next highest earning female athlete ever with more than $43 million playing tennis, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

What will Serena Williams do after she retires?

Jarrod Moses, a marketing professor at Columbia University in New York, and founder of the sports and marketing agency, United Entertainment Group (UEG), thinks Williams can quickly join the likes of Tom Brady with a multimillion-dollar sports network commentator deal.

Williams is already a minority owner of the NFL's Miami Dolphins with her sister Venus.

Moses also thinks she can dominate the runways in Paris and New York with her S by Serena designer clothing line and zero in on venture capital with her early-stage firm, Serena Ventures, which raised $111 million in its initial round of funding earlier this year.

"I think she can easily establish herself as a billion-dollar mogul in the fashion and media space within the next three years," Moses said. "You can see her manifesting her life, her culture and it will be globally accepted."

How much money did Serena Williams make last year?

A lot. Despite not playing much on the court last year, Williams made a reported $45.3 million last year, good enough to land at No. 31 on Forbes' world's 50-highest paid athletes list.

The majority of her earnings came from Williams' numerous endorsements which include Nike (where she signed a $55 million deal in 2003, and now has a building on the Nike campus named after her just like basketball legend Michael Jordan), Gatorade, Wilson Sporting Goods, Subway, Beats, JP Morgan Chase, Anheuser-Busch and Gucci, just to name several.

Follow Terry Collins on Twitter @terryscollins

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Serena Williams' pending retirement hurt her endorsements?