Roger Federer Becomes Second Billionaire In Tennis History

Roger Federer has kept himself busy since retiring from tennis, and wise financial decisions have allowed him to become a billionaire.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion earned over $130 million in prize money throughout his illustrious career. Only Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the Swiss Maestro's most significant on-court rivals, earned more in prize money.

Most of Federer's wealth has been created with off-court activities. His uniquely elegant playing style, calm demeanor, and good looks make him one of the most marketable athletes in sporting history.

Federer has had numerous endorsement partnerships over the years. Although the 44-year-old's domination of tennis ended long before his retirement in 2022, that did not stop him from signing lucrative endorsement deals in the years since.

A significant reason for Federer's incredible financial success in the last few years is his position as a sizeable minority shareholder in On, a publicly traded Swiss shoe and apparel brand that sponsors many athletes.

Although he was committed and focused on tennis throughout his playing career, Federer took careful and considered steps to invest his earnings wisely and carefully, as demonstrated by his choice to take a stake in On.

The eight-time Wimbledon champion was the highest-paid player for 16 consecutive years during his career, showing clearly that he was the sport's flagship star and the biggest reason for its growth in the 2000s and 2010s.

Although Djokovic and Nadal are two of the most critical figures in tennis history, they earned less than half what Federer did in endorsements, special appearances, and business activities during his career.

Ion Tiriac is the only other former tennis player with billionaire status. The Romanian has enjoyed a very successful business career and owned the Madrid Open from 2009 until 2021. He is worth an estimated $2.3 billion.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were the highest-paid current players during the last 12 months. The Spaniard earned a slightly higher $48.3 million compared to Sinner's $47.3 million, and earned $8 million more in off-court activities.

Coco Gauff, the highest-paid female athlete in 2024, was third on the list with $37.2 million. Of that, $25 million was in off-court activities, demonstrating again how Gauff's personality makes her among the most marketable athletes worldwide.

Djokovic was No. 4 on the list despite playing a much-reduced schedule compared to other top players, understandably at his age. Of the Serbian's $29.7 million, $25 million came from off-court activities.

Aryna Sabalenka, Qinwen Zheng, and Iga Swiatek were fifth, sixth, and seventh on the list. Despite being the WTA world No. 1 since October, Sabalenka's total earnings were only slightly more than half of Alcaraz and Sinner's.

Swiatek spoke about the disparities between ATP and WTA players in a 2025 US Open press conference. This year's Wimbledon winner would like to see the gap closed, but acknowledged that it is not easy to achieve.

However, Swiatek was also skeptical about Forbes's list's accuracy since many of the contracts negotiated between players and brands are private. She wondered how Forbes could attain accurate information.