Roger Federer is the world’s highest-paid athlete, the first time a tennis player took the No. 1 spot in Forbes’ annual list of the 100 top earners since its inception in 1990.
Federer, the 38-year-old, 20-time Grand Slam singles champion, earned $106.3 million in the last 12 months — $100 million via endorsements, according to the report.
He edged Cristiano Ronaldo ($105 million) for No. 1. They were followed by fellow Olympians Lionel Messi ($104 million), Neymar ($95.5 million) and LeBron James ($88.2 million). Messi and Ronaldo were Nos. 1 and 2 in 2019, when Federer was fifth.
The highest-ranked woman, as reported last week, is Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka at No. 29 ($37.4 million), who supplanted Serena Williams ($36 million), who is No. 33. They are the lone women in the top 100, marking the first time multiple women made the list since Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2016.
