tennis

Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2021: Federer, Serena And Nadal Win Even When They Can’t Take The Court

Rafael Nadal, one of the all-time best tennis players with 20 Grand Slam titles under his belt, marked another watershed moment in his career Wednesday when he won his 1,000th tour match.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h3>



With his victory over fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez at the Rolex Paris Masters, Nadal officially won his 1,000th tour-level match.



It took Nadal about 18 years to hit 1,000, having won&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-lopez-paris-2020-wednesday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his first</a>&nbsp;in Mallorca, Spain in 2002.



Nadal is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-lopez-paris-2020-wednesday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">only the fourth</a>&nbsp;tennis pro in history to hit four-figure wins, following i greats like Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Nadal rival Roger Federer, according to the ATP Tour.



Just last month, Nadal won the French Open, giving him his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2020/10/11/rafael-nadal-destroys-novak-djokovic-for-13th-french-open-title-record-tying-20th-grand-slam/?sh=31c96fa56044">20th Grand Slam title</a>&nbsp;and tying him with Federer for the male player with the most Grand Slam titles in history.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



“[Winning 1,000 matches] means that I am old. That means that I played well for such a very long time,” Nadal said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-lopez-paris-2020-wednesday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the tour</a>. “I have been playing well for a lot of years and [that] is something that makes me feel happy.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



Besides his wins on the court, Nadal is one of the most commercially successful athletes.&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;ranked him in May at #27 of the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/#56c1475a55ae">top-paid athletes</a>, with an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/#4f7fab7255ae">$40 million</a>&nbsp;in earnings up to that point in 2020. Since going professional in 2001, he has collected&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/rafael-nadal/?sh=330d25ba1bb0">$121 million</a>&nbsp;in prize money and can fetch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/rafael-nadal/?sh=330d25ba1bb0">seven-figure fees</a>&nbsp;for appearances, according to&nbsp;Forbes.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2020/10/11/rafael-nadal-destroys-novak-djokovic-for-13th-french-open-title-record-tying-20th-grand-slam/#:~:text=The%20No.,the%20all%2Dtime%20men's%20list.">Rafael Nadal Destroys Novak Djokovic For 13th French Open Title, Record-Tying 20th Grand Slam</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/10/11/tennis-goat-rafael-nadal-vs-roger-federer-by-the-numbers/?sh=9b4ace840b3c">Tennis’ GOAT? Rafael Nadal Vs. Roger Federer, By The Numbers</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



-By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

Rolex Paris Masters – Day Three

Rafael Nadal Marks 1,000th Career Win

Miami Open 2019 – Day 3

The Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2020: They Are Barely Playing, But The Top 10 Pros Still Earned $340 Million

Doubles match full view – Christiaan Kotze

An Evening When The Stars Descended With Racquets: Federer And Nadal Faced-Off On African Soil For The Mother Of All Tennis Matches

Roger Federer,&nbsp;Novak Djokovic&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rafael Nadal&nbsp;are kicking off play at the U.S. Open as the three favorites to win the title and take home a Grand Slam-record $3.85 million payday as the singles champion. The Big Three are a good bet, having captured 53 out of 63 Slams since the start of 2004, including the last 11.



The on-court dominance has produced a combined $373 million in career prize money for the trio, light years ahead of their peers. But the money off the court is even sweeter for Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, to the tune of a cumulative $1.2 billion during their careers from endorsement partners and appearance fees.



Federer is the highest-paid tennis player for the 14th straight year, with $93.4 million from prize money, endorsements and appearance fees in the 12 months ending June 1. It is a record tally by a tennis player.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Inside Serena Williams’ Plan To Ace Venture Investing (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/06/05/inside-serena-williams-plan-to-ace-venture-investing/" target="_blank">Inside Serena Williams’ Plan To Ace Venture Investing</a>



His sponsor portfolio is unmatched in sports, with a dozen partners together paying him more than $60 million a year, well ahead of other global sports icons like&nbsp;Tiger Woods,&nbsp;LeBron James&nbsp;and&nbsp;Cristiano Ronaldo. 



Credit Federer’s long run at the top—his Slam titles span 15 years—and the strong demographics of tennis fans, who spend heavily on equipment, apparel, cars, watches and financial services. The global nature of the sport also allows brands to use the players in marketing around the world.



Federer turned 38 this month, and Father Time will catch up at some point, but Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo is&nbsp;betting $300 million&nbsp;that Federer will continue to resonate with fans long after he hangs up his racket. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbeswomanafrica.com/wealth/2019/08/26/business-is-booming-for-tennis-ace-naomi-osaka-on-track-to-be-the-highest-paid-female-athlete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Business Is Booming For Tennis Ace Naomi Osaka, On Track To Be The Highest-Paid Female Athlete (opens in a new tab)">Business Is Booming For Tennis Ace Naomi Osaka, On Track To Be The Highest-Paid Female Athlete</a>



After two decades with Nike, Federer signed a ten-year deal with Uniqlo last year that is guaranteed whether he is playing or not. In the coming months, Federer will also likely take back control of his RF logo, which stayed with Nike after their split.



After a two-year Slam drought, Djokovic has roared back to capture four of the past five majors. The titles helped push his 12-month earnings to $50.6 million, including $30 million off the court from appearances and sponsors Lacoste, Head, Asics, Seiko, NetJets and Ultimate Software. He ranks as the second-highest-paid tennis player.



Rounding out the top five players are&nbsp;Kei Nishikori&nbsp;($37.3 million), Nadal ($35 million) and&nbsp;Serena Williams&nbsp;($29.2 million).



Tennis is the only major sport in which women and men are in the same zip code in terms of earnings. The U.S. Open was the first Slam to offer equal payouts for the men’s and women’s events, and now each of the four Slams has equal pay. While Williams was the only woman to crack&nbsp;Forbes&#8216; 100&nbsp;highest-paid athletes&nbsp;this year, the top ten earners in tennis are split evenly between men and women.



The top ten collectively made $312 million,&nbsp;up 23% from last year, fueled by huge gains by Federer, Djokovic and&nbsp;Naomi Osaka. See the full top ten below.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">10. Sloane Stephens</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1142602393/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Mutua Madrid Open Masters v day 7"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $9.6 million



Prize money: $4.1 million



Endorsements: $5.5 million



The 2017 U.S. Open champion returns to Flushing Meadows this year&nbsp;wearing a tennis shoe&nbsp;based on the “Aqua” colorway of Nike’s retro Air Jordan VIII. Her Nike pact, which began last year, is one of the biggest in the sport. Stephens recently announced her engagement to soccer star Jozy Altidore.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">9. Simona Halep</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1163387350/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="The Championships - Wimbledon 2019"/><figcaption>CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $10.2 million



Prize money: $6.2 million



Endorsements: $4 million



Halep has won only one event in 2019, but it was a big one: Wimbledon, and its $3 million payday, her second career Grand Slam title. The Romanian pro counts Nike, Wilson, Mercedes-Benz and Hublot among her sponsors.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">8. Angelique Kerber</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1158622069/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Nature Valley International - Day Four"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $11.3 million



Prize money: $5.3 million



Endorsements: $6 million



Kerber triggered lucrative bonuses from sponsors, namely Adidas, with her 2018 Wimbledon title and year-end rank of second in the world. In addition to Adidas, the German pro has also renewed deals with SAP, Generali and NetJets since Wimbleon and recently inked a new pact with Procter &amp; Gamble’s Head &amp; Shoulders brand. Other endorsements include Yonex, Porsche, Rolex and Lavazza.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">7. Alexander Zverev</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1160486313/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Rogers Cup Montreal - Day 8"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $11.8 million



Prize money: $6.3 million



Endorsements: $5.5 million



The 22-year-old German is a rising star on the ATP Tour and has 11 career titles, including the 2018 year-end ATP Finals, which was worth $2.5 million in prize money. He has a large deal with Adidas, in addition to endorsements with Head, Peugeot, Richard Mille and Zegna.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Naomi Osaka</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1168056730/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Western &amp; Southern Open - Day 5"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $24.3 million



Prize money: $8.3 million



Endorsements: $16 million



Osaka will see her endorsement number soar even higher, having signed a series of deals since her 2018 U.S. Open win. The biggest is with Nike, which was inked just ahead of our June 1 cutoff and is worth an estimated $10 million annually. She also recently added a series of endorsement partners—Hyperice, BodyArmor and Muzik—where&nbsp;she received equity stakes&nbsp;in the businesses.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Serena Williams</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1160435948/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Rogers Cup Toronto - Day 6"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $29.2 million



Prize money: $4.2 million



Endorsements: $25 million



The world&#8217;s&nbsp;highest-paid female athlete&nbsp;four years running had a record year off the court after her return to tennis following the birth of daughter Olympia. She added deals with Pampers, Axa Financial and General Mills to her roster.&nbsp;Williams&#8217; next act is&nbsp;tackling venture investing, focused largely on companies led by women or people of color.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Rafael Nadal</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1161098596/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Rogers Cup Montreal - Day 10"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $35 million



Prize money: $9 million



Endorsements: $26 million



The Spaniard is one of the biggest draws in tennis and can command appearance fees of more than $1 million a pop. His primary sponsors include Nike, Babolat, Kia Motors, Telefónica, Richard Mille and Mapfre.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Kei Nishikori</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1160287842/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="TENNIS: AUG 07 Coupe Rogers"/><figcaption>ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $37.3 million



Prize money: $4.3 million



Endorsements: $33 million



Nishikori and Zverev are the only non-Slam winners among the ten highest-paid tennis players. But Nishikori&#8217;s robust endorsement portfolio is fueled by his status as the most successful Japanese player ever. He is set to be one of the faces of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. His sponsors Asahi, NTT, Japan Airlines, Lixil, Procter &amp; Gamble and Nissin are all official Olympics partners.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Novak Djokovic</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1168302451/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Western &amp; Southern Open - Day 6"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $50.6 million



Prize money: $20.6 million



Endorsements: $30 million



There have been ten tennis seasons in which a player won more than $12 million in prize money. Djokovic owns seven of those years. His $135 million in career prize money has him $9 million ahead of Federer. Djokovic&#8217;s Lacoste endorsement is one of the richest deals in the sport.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Roger Federer</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1161645059/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Day Eleven: The Championships - Wimbledon 2019"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



Total earnings: $93.4 million



Prize money: $7.4 million



Endorsements: $86 million



In addition to his blockbuster Uniqlo pact, Federer added a multimillion-dollar deal with Rimowa last year. The luggage brand joined Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, Moet &amp; Chandon, Barilla and others in Fed&#8217;s endorsement stable.



-Kurt Badenhausen; Forbes

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The Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2019: Roger Federer Scores A Record $93 Million

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