Roger Federer has become a billionaire in dollar terms thanks to his endeavours on and off the tennis court. The 44-year-old enjoyed a sensational career in the game and won an incredible 20 Grand Slam titles before retiring in 2022.
Federer became the dominant force in men’s tennis in the early 2000s as he won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. The blockbuster star landed 16 of the 27 Major titles on offer between 2003 and the start of 2010 before winning another four Grand Slams later in his career after falling behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the pecking order. And he earned nearly £100million for his efforts on the court before calling it a day.
According to Forbes, Federer netted £97million in prize money and was also paid just shy of £111m during his two-decade association with Nike.
The Swiss ace signed a £222m ten-year deal with Uniqlo after leaving Nike, while he benefitted from sponsorship deals with Lindt, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and Moet & Chandon as well.
But the biggest boost to his net worth came after he invested in Swiss sports apparel company On in 2019.
Federer was introduced to On after his wife Mirka started wearing the brand’s shoes. The tennis star now owns 3 per cent of the company, with his stake said to be worth an incredible £277m.
He has also invested in private plane operator NetJets, eyewear brand Oliver Peoples and UBS bank.
The outlet have reported that Federer is now worth a whopping $1.1billion, which equates to just over £813m.
That puts him seventh in the list of sporting billionaires in dollar terms, with basketball legend Michael Jordan leading the way with a net worth of £2.8bn. Former tennis star Ion Țiriac, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, is worth £1.85bn, while Magic Johnson has a net worth of £1.1bn.
Meanwhile, Johnson’s fellow basketball icon Junior Bridgeman was worth £1.04bn at the time of his death in March. Further down the list, Tiger Woods is worth £960m ($1.3bn), with LeBron James’ personal fortune calculated to be £890m (£1.2bn).
Federer struggled with injuries during the latter stages of his playing career. And announcing his retirement ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup, the eight-time Wimbledon champion said: “I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form.
“But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years.
“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.”
