From Grand Slam titles on the court to billionaire status off it: Roger Federer named on Forbes world billionaires list

Roger Federer will always be widely recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, tennis players to step foot onto the court. He has since continued to build off the court after his retirement, with his fortune accelerating to immense amounts. He has since been confirmed to be on the Forbes world billionaires list for the first time, with endorsements and investments all paying off for the Swiss.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion had his spotlight in tennis for a good two decades, winning Grand Slams for fun at times. He holds many records and accolades from his decorated time competing, but eventually, he just was not able to anymore, stepping away from the sport in 2022 at the age of 41.

Since then, he has been on a mission to build up his wealth, with a huge amount of success. On the list, he is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune worth $1.1 billion. A ridiculous sum of money, with $131 million of that in career prize money. Only Novak Djokovic ($189 million) and Rafael Nadal ($135 million) can boast more from a personal income on the court. Off the court is where Federer trumps them.

Federer was earning the most in 2020 when he became the highest paid sporting person on the planet, raking in an estimated $106 million. This was most certainly helped by long-term sponsorship deals with Uniqlo, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Lindt, Moët & Chandon, among others.

According to Forbes, most of the money earned has come through his early investments in On, a Swiss sportswear brand. Back when it was called On Running, Federer bought a 3% stake in the company. He later partnered with them to create the 'The Roger Pro' shoe. The brand, which had been mostly focusing on running, was now taking its first steps in tennis. They have since acquired the likes of Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton in their ranks.

Tennis has also been a huge part of his prior business. Back in 2013, Federer co-founded the Team8 management agency with longtime agent Tony Godsick. This was the foundation on which the Laver Cup was based. The popular exhibition pitches European tennis players against the Rest of the World in a Ryder Cup style tournament. A huge amount of talent is regularly on display there, with it also having been sanctioned as an ATP Tour event.

Federer would cross the $1 billion mark in August 2025, among several high-calibre sports figures to achieve this. He joins fellow former tennis player and Romanian businessman Ion Țiriac on the list. The owner of the current Indian Wells tournament, Larry Ellison, slots in at sixth.