In a publication released annually by Forbes, Federer topped the list of athletes by earning $106.3 million dollars over the past 12 months. After ranking 5th in the 2019 edition, the 20-time Grand Slam champion made a significant leap to claim the top spot.

The Swiss superstar became the first tennis player to top the list, mostly due to lucrative sponsorships and appearance fees. His numerous endorsements range from Rolex to Mercedes-Benz and of course, Wilson. These all aided in netting the 38-year old over $100 million, making him and Tiger Woods the only active athletes to achieve this in a single year.

“The coronavirus pandemic triggered salary cuts for soccer stars Messi and Ronaldo, clearing the way for a tennis player to rank as the world’s highest-paid athlete for the first time,” said Kurt Badenhausen, Senior Editor of Forbes. “Roger Federer is the perfect pitchman for companies, resulting in an unparalleled endorsement portfolio of blue-chip brands worth $100 million a year for the tennis great.”

Federer's previous highest ranking was at No.2 in 2013, behind only Tiger Woods. World No.1 Novak Djokovic ranked No.23 on this year's list with $44.6 million, while Rafael Nadal came in at No.27 with $40 million.

Japan's Kei Nishikori claimed the No.40 spot, raking in $32.1 million. The only two women to crack the top 100 were two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who placed 29th with $37.4 million, and Serena Williams at 33rd with $36 million.

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