Tennis legend Roger Federer has become only the seventh athlete in history to reach billionaire status, Forbes reported. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who retired in 2022, is now estimated to have a net worth of $1.1 billion, boosted by his minority stake in Swiss shoe and apparel brand On.
Tennis legend Roger Federer is now a billionaire(AP)
Federer, who earned $1 billion in off-court endeavours during his 24-year career, was the highest-paid tennis player for 16 straight seasons, double of what Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal pocketed. And that was despite the Swiss earning less in prize money ($131 million), than his rivals (Djokovic – $189 million and Nadal – $135 million). In fact, in 2020, the year injury left him on the sidelines after the Australian Open semifinal exit, he had earned $106.3 million before tax, more than any other athlete in the world.
Federer is now the second-ever tennis player in history to join the billionaire club after Romanian player Ion Țiriac, the 1970 French Open doubles champion, who built his fortune through post-communism investments. Overall, he is the seventh athlete in the world. Basketball stars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, as well as Milwaukee Bucks sixth man Junior Bridgeman, and golf icon Tiger Woods are the others on the list. Woods and James are the only ones who are still competing in their sports.
Carlos Alcaraz remained the highest-paid active tennis player in the last 12 months for the second time in a row, as reported by Forbes. He earned $48.3 million. Only Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka have made more in a single year. Sinner, the reigning world No. 1, who has already won two of the three Grand Slams this year, and whose rivalry with Alcaraz is shaping the current generation of the sport, stands second on the list. He earned $47.3 million, which is nearly double what he earned in the previous 12 months. Of the total amount, $20.3 million came from the sport directly, the third-most by a tennis player in a single year since Forbes’ records began. It is significantly more than what Alcaraz bagged, which is only behind Djokovic’s 2016 and 2019 earnings.
Coco Gauff is third on the list, having earned $37.2 million in the last 12 months, more than any other female star in the sport. With her placement, this is the first time since Federer, Maria Sharapova, and Nadal in 2010 that all three of the top three are under 30.
