Even after retiring from professional tennis, Roger Federer’s influence on the world of sports remains strong. In fact, he secured the ninth spot on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes for 2023, thanks to his off-court endorsement deals. Despite stepping away from competitive tennis in September, Federer’s long-term partners continue to support him. Additionally, he has ventured into licensing agreements, including one with eyewear maker Oliver Peoples for his RF brand, and holds a significant stake in the thriving Swiss shoe company, On. The Laver Cup, an international exhibition tournament he co-founded in 2017, was his final professional tennis appearance, which he played alongside Rafael Nadal.
Federer’s inclusion in the Top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2023 further cements his status as one of the most influential athletes of his generation. He joins the ranks of other prominent names in various sports, including football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, basketball icons LeBron James and Stephen Curry, golfers Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, and boxing sensation Canelo Álvarez.
Federer’s legacy in tennis is unparalleled. He has won 20 Grand Slam titles, the most by any male player, and spent a record 310 weeks as the world’s number one player. Federer has also won 103 career singles titles and two Olympic medals, a gold in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver in singles at the 2012 London Olympics.
But Federer’s impact on tennis goes beyond his on-court achievements. He has inspired countless players with his elegant playing style and sportsmanship, and his charitable work has helped numerous people worldwide. Federer established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged children in Africa access education, and he has raised millions of dollars for various causes through his charity matches and events.
Federer’s earnings for 2023 would have made him the world’s highest-paid athlete as recently as 2017, a year when Cristiano Ronaldo led the rankings with $93 million. The cutoff for the Top 10 in 2023 is $89.1 million, a 10% increase from the previous year. This increase is a testament to the growing influence of sports and the increasing value of athletes as brand ambassadors.
Other tennis stars, too, have left their mark on the sport. Rafael Nadal, Federer’s long-time rival, is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, having won 22 Grand Slam titles. Novak Djokovic, the current world number one, is also in the conversation for the greatest of all time, having won 22 Grand Slam titles and counting.
Apart from Federer, the tennis world is full of other stars who have made a name for themselves both on and off the court. One such name is Serena Williams, who has been a dominant force in women’s tennis for over two decades. Williams has won a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles and has been ranked world No. 1 in singles eight times. She is also the highest-paid female athlete, having earned over $400 million throughout her career, according to Forbes.
Like Federer, Williams has leveraged her success on the court to build a lucrative off-court brand. She has endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and JPMorgan Chase, among others. She also launched her own fashion line, S by Serena, in 2018, and has invested in several startups, including the online education platform MasterClass and the health and wellness app, Aloe Bud.
Another tennis star making waves is Naomi Osaka. The Japanese-Haitian player burst onto the scene in 2018, winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open, and has since become one of the most marketable athletes in the world. Osaka has endorsement deals with brands such as Nike, Nissan, and Louis Vuitton, and has been ranked as the highest-paid female athlete by Forbes in 2020 and 2021, earning over $50 million in the past year.
Off the court, Osaka has become an advocate for mental health, openly discussing her own struggles with anxiety and depression. She has used her platform to raise awareness about mental health issues and has worked with organizations such as the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Women’s Sports Foundation to promote gender equality in sports.
Other notable tennis stars include Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Maria Sharapova. Nadal and Djokovic have both won numerous Grand Slam titles and have been ranked world No. 1 in singles, while Sharapova, who retired in 2020, won five Grand Slam titles and was ranked world No. 1 in singles for a total of 21 weeks.
While Roger Federer’s inclusion in the Top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2023 is a testament to his enduring success both on and off the court, he is not the only tennis star who has leveraged their success to build a lucrative brand. Tennis is a sport that has produced many marketable stars, from Serena Williams to Naomi Osaka, and the impact these players have made extends far beyond the court. As the tennis world continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see what the next generation of stars will bring both on and off the court.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2023:
| # | Name | On-Field | Off-Field | Total |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | $46 million | $90 million | $136 million |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | $65 million | $65 million | $130 million |
| 3. | Kylian Mbappé | $100 million | $20 million | $120 million |
| 4. | LeBronJames | $44.5 million | $75 million | $119.5 million |
| 5. | Canelo Álvarez | $100 million | $10 million | $110 million |
| 6. | Dustin Johnson | $102 million | $5 million | $107 million |
| 7. | Phil Mickelson | $104 million | $2 million | $106 million |
| 8. | Stephen Curry | $48.4 million | $52 million | $100.4 million |
| 9. | Roger Federer | $0.1 million | $95 million | $95.1 million |
| 10. | Kevin Durant | $44.1 million | $45 million | $89.1 million |
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance.
