Roger Federer stands above all tennis players on list of highest-paid athletes of all time
Tennis News
Despite calling an end to his career almost three years ago, Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer ranks above all tennis players on the list of highest-paid athletes of all time, polled by Sportico.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion retired at the 2022 Laver Cup, playing his final match alongside friend and long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the doubles event. Dubbed as arguably the greatest player of all time, Federer's legacy includes numerous record-breaking performances, titles and weeks as the World No.1 at the time.
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Federer far ahead of the rest
The Basel native comes in at ninth on Sportico's list of the highest-paid athletes of all time, with an incredible $1.59 billion in earnings; adjusted for inflation. The 43-year old won over $100 million in prize money, in addition to several lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, Gillette and Rolex.
Nadal is the second highest-paid tennis player, coming in at 26th on the list. The Mallorcan retired at last year's Davis Cup Finals, with $735 million in career earnings.
Novak Djokovic sits at No.33 on the list, with a career earning total of $690 million. The Serbian is still very active on the ATP Tour, and has a chance to climb up the list before he retires.
American tennis legend Serena Williams is the only WTA player on the list. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is ranked 40th, earning $660 million during her career.
Retired NBA star Michael Jordan is first on the list, with $4.15 billion in earnings. Golf legend Tiger Woods, Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, NBA great LeBron James, and Argentine football phenom Lionel Messi round out the Top 5.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
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