By Alberto Amalfi | Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Roger Federer tops the list of highest-paid tennis players for 2019. Four other tennis players joined Federer on Forbes' exclusive list.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Grand Slam king Roger Federer retains his lofty position as the game's greatest earner.
Forbes issued its annual list of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes today, revealing Federer is again the highest-paid tennis player in the world with $93.4 million in annual earnings.
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The 37-year-old Swiss, who earned $86 million through endorsement pacts with Uniqlo, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, Wilson, Lindt, Jura, Barilla pasta and Moet & Chandon, is the world's fifth highest-paid athlete and one of five tennis players to secure a spot on the Forbes list.
Soccer star Lionel Messi amassed $127 million dollars the past year, including $92 million in salary, to stand as the richest athlete in the world.
The Barcelona standout is the eighth different athlete to top the list since Forbes began tracking athlete earnings in 1990.
The top three highest-paid athletes on the planet are soccer stars: Messi, No. 2 Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned a total of $109 million and No. 3 Neymar with $105 million.
Boxer Canelo Alvarez is the fourth highest-paid athlete in the world earning $92 of his $94 million through prize money.
Federer is fifth on the Forbes' list $600,000 behind Alvarez.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the world's second highest-paid tennis player with $50.6 million, including $20.6 million in prize money. Djokovic, who is the all-time ATP prize money leader with $131.7 million, ranks No. 17 overall on Forbes' list, which ties him with Angels superstar Mike Trout.
Japanese No. 1 Kei Nishikori ranks 35th on the Forbes list with $37.3 million, including $33 million in endorsements.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is two spots behind Nishikori at No. 37 with $35 million in annual earnings. About $26 million of Nadal's income emanates from endorsement pacts with Nike, Kia, Babolat, Telefonica and luxury watch maker Richard Mille.
Serena Williams is the lone female athlete on the top 100 list.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion collected $29.2 million in earnings with $25 million in endorsements. Serena Williams is No. 63 on Forbes list ranking ahead of NBA stars Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday as well as NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who is No. 81 on the list, and Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who comes in at No. 85.
Forbes Top 10 Richest Athletes
1. Lionel Messi, soccer: $127 million
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer: $109 million
3. Neymar, soccer: $105 million
4. Canelo Alvarez, boxer: $94 million
5. Roger Federer, tennis: $93.4 million
6. Russell Wilson, football: $89.5 million
7. Aaron Rodgers, football: $89.3 million
8. LeBron James, basketball: $89 million
9. Stephen Curry, basketball: $79.8 million
10. Kevin Durant, basketball: $65.4 million
Tiger Woods holds the record for most times atop the Forbes list with 12.