The 41-year-old Swiss tennis legend has a sponsorship portfolio that is unmatched in the sports world. Over the past year Federer raked in $90.7 million (CHF86 million) in endorsements, appearances and other business endeavours, helping him become the highest-paid tennis player and the seventh-best-paid athlete in the world, according to business magazineExternal linkForbes.
And this is all without even stepping on court. He’s been recovering from a knee operation since playing at Wimbledon in 2021. From May 2021 to May 2022 the winner of 20 grand slam titles earned less than $1 million in prize money, Forbes said.
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Some of Federer’s biggest sponsors include Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprüngli, luxury brand LVMH, and Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, which offered him a ten-year, $300 million deal in 2018. His biggest payday may still be to come thanks to his investment in Swiss athletic apparel company On, which went public in September 2021.
Lionel richer
Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who has won four tennis majors, is the second-highest-paid tennis player, earning $56.2 million in the past year. Serena Williams, who is set to retire after the US Open, earned $35.1 million this year, pipping former men’s number ones Rafael Nadal ($31.4 million) and Novak Djokovic ($27.1 million).
Football star Lionel Messi took the top spot overall, earning $75 million on the field and $55 million off it, followed by US basketball star LeBron James.
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Is Roger Federer the GOAT, the Greatest of All Time? We want you to decide – after considering the cases of the five main contenders.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.