Federer Tops all Athletes in Endorsement Earnings

Roger Federer earns more in endorsements than any other athlete in the world, reports Forbes.#RG17: McEnroe Shocked at Djokovic's Lack of Fight vs. Thiem in Paris The magazine's annual ranking of the top-paid athletes put Federer at fourth overall with $64 million in annual earnings, even with just $6 million in prize money. Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who topped the rankings, had $93 million, while NBA basketballer LeBron James was second with $86.2 million and soccer's Lionel Messi third with $80 million. But Federer’s $58 million endorsement portfolio tops all athletes.

No athlete makes more $$$ in endorsements than Roger Federer, per @Forbes. Here are Top 5. pic.twitter.com/rDelGN8Mch

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) June 9, 2017

Here’s what Forbes says about the Swiss maestro, who recently added Barilla Pasta to his premium cache of corporate sponsorships.

Federer has won $104 million in prize money in his career, but the total is dwarfed by his off-court earnings from appearances and endorsements. His latest pact is with pasta brand Barilla. The deal runs longer than five years and is expected to net Fed roughly $40 million. Many of Federer's sponsor relationships run a decade-plus. His partners include Nike, Wilson, Credit Suisse, Mercedes, Rolex, Lindt, Jura, Moet & Chandon, Sunrise and NetJets. He raised more than $4M for charity through a pair of exhibitions in April in Zurich and Seattle with Seattle. His eponymous foundation has raised $40 million with $30 million donated to educational programs in Africa.

The next highest-ranked tennis player in terms endorsements was Kei Nishikori, with $30 million. while Novak Djokovic pulled in $27 million and Rafael Nadal raked in $26 million in endorsements.Serena Williams leads all female tennis players with $19 million in endorsements. Andy Murray earns $14 million. ]]>