Tennis Feature: Is Roger Federer the wealthiest player on the ATP?

Even outside tennis, Federer retains the image and is one of the most financially successful sportspeople ever. He has been playing professional tennis since 1998, and apart from 20 Grand Slams, he has won more than 100 titles. 

In his decades-long career, he has secured $131 million in prize money, the third highest in ATP Tour history behind Djokovic's $159 million and Nadal's $132 million.

Here is a brief account of his financial gains over his tennis career:

How much did Roger Federer earn from prize money and endorsements?

Federer has been tennis' highest-paid player for over 16 consecutive years. According to reports, he secured $90 million over the past 12 months before taxes and agents' fees.

Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, only trailing Jimmy Connors' 109. He spent 310 weeks as the ATP Tour's top-ranked player but 237 consecutive weeks as world number one, an unbeaten record. 

Federer's career prize money was around $130.6million after he turned pro in 1998 behind Djokovic's $159 million and Nadal's $131.7 million. However, it covers only 12% of his career's earnings total before taxes and agents' fees. 

Federer's career earnings increased to $1.1 billion, which doubles Nadal's $500 million and Djokovic's $470 million. The number stands as the fifth-highest total recorded by an active athlete. 

He is currently behind Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi. 

Federer's success as a tennis star increased his desirability, which is why he would charge $ 2 million per event to play in exhibitions and smaller tournaments during his peak age. 

Sometimes, it would touch $3 million or more. Meanwhile, the Swiss legend's estimated earnings were around $90.7 million before taxes and agents' fees over the 12 months ending in May. 

How much did Roger Federer earn from endorsements?

Federer earned roughly $ 1 billion from endorsements and other undertakings, including appearances and business deals. He is seventh on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

He secured a $90 million total off the court, which made him $ 10 million ahead of LeBron James and $22million clear of third-place Tiger Woods. In 2020, Federer topped the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes as his peak earnings hit $106.3 million. 

Out of that, he earned $100 million from endorsements and appearance fees. He has been listed in the top ten since he was ranked 11 in 2009. 

Roger Federer's deal with Uniqlo 

In 2018, Federer left Nike and struck a 10-year-long deal with Uniqlo worth $300 million. It was an upgrade from the $150 million he earned from Nike over two decades. 

Besides Uniqlo, he has other sponsors, including Credit Suisse, Lindt, Mercedes, and Rolex. He has stayed over a decade in every brand mentioned. 

Federer has a current net worth of €550 million, which makes him the second wealthiest tennis player to have existed, behind Ion Tiriac, who increased his wealth through business endeavours after his retirement.