Federer, Osaka and Serena Williams only tennis players among top 50 earning athletes

Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka were the three tennis players who made it into Forbes' list of the highest-earning athletes.

Federer has regularly been the highest-paid tennis player since he started winning Grand Slams. The Swiss maestro was known as the sport's flagship star because of his uniquely elegant playing style while enjoying success.

Tennis fans worldwide watched emotionally when Federer made his final professional appearance at the Laver Cup after playing a doubles match with fellow legend Rafael Nadal. It was one of the most memorable farewells in the sport's history.

Federer's retirement did not stop him from earning a massive sum this year. The eight-time Wimbledon champion earned an estimated $90.7 million. That number is particularly staggering, as he did not play any matches this year except at the Laver Cup.

The former ATP world No. 1 making that amount just from endorsements shows his marketability. It will be interesting to observe if that remains the case next year, with him officially retired.

Serena Williams was another tennis legend who retired in 2022. She bid farewell to tennis on home soil at the US Open after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. The emotions at Arthur Ashe Stadium were probably even higher than during Federer's retirement ceremony.

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Unlike Federer, Williams has not ruled out a return to tennis. She still looked in good physical shape during her final few tournaments, meaning the prospect cannot entirely be ruled out.

Williams earned an estimated $45 million in 2022, which placed her in the Top 50. Like Federer, this was almost entirely in endorsements since the American only returned from an injury in June and played until September.

Osaka is below Federer but ahead of Williams on the list. In addition to being an excellent player, the Japanese star is also marketable due to her mental health advocacy and numerous other off-court activities.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is No. 19 on the list, with around $59 million to her name. She achieved that despite an underwhelming 2022 season by her high standards.

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