How Roger Federer became the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time ever – thanks, Rolex and Uniqlo – and how he spends it
Tennis legend Roger Federer earned $106.3 million last year, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes – but most of it wasn’t earned on the court
Roger Federer is not only one of the most-talented athletes on the planet, but also the most profitable.
Between winning the Wimbledon men's singles tournament eight times, as well as a total of 20 Grand Slam singles titles all over the world, Federer turned his tournament trophies into lucrative sponsorship deals. The 38-year-old earned US$106.3 million from professional wins and sponsorship deals between June 2019 and May 2020, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world during that time period, according to Forbes.
That figure is likely to only go up, as the Swiss star signed a US$300 million sponsorship deal with Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo in July 2018.
Here’s eight things you should know about the man celebrated as one of tennis’ all-time greats.
Tennis rankings aren’t everything
As of now, Federer is ranked fourth in the men's singles tennis ATP world rankings.
He hasn't been too interested in his rankings in recent years, though. “For me, the ranking, at 37 years old, is no longer really the priority,” Federer said at a media event in 2019.
His success dates back to the age of eight, when he started playing tennis. Born in Basel, Switzerland, on August 8, 1981, his Swiss father, Robert Federer, and South African mother, Lynette Durand, encouraged him to play from an early age. His parents both worked for the same pharmaceutical company, according to Biography.com.