Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete, says Forbes

Reuters Videos
Updated

SHOWS:

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 29, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF ROGER FEDERER PRACTISING

PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - MAY 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. FEDERER PRACTISING

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE - FEBRUARY 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

3. VARIOUS OF FEDERER, TRAINING ON COURT AHEAD OF CHARITY MATCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

4. FEDERER SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - NOVEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

5. FEDERER WALKS TO PRACTICE COURT

6. VARIOUS OF FEDERER TRAINING ON COURT

7. FEDERER WALKS OFF COURT

BARCELONA, SPAIN (MAY 27, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

8. BARCELONA'S LIONEL MESSI DURING TEAM TRAINING SESSION

9. MESSI TRAINING WITH SQUAD

10. MESSI POURING WATER ON HIS HEAD DURING TRAINING SESSION

11. DEFENDER, GERARD PIQUE, GOING THROUGH RUNNING DRILL FOLLOWED BY LUIS SUAREZ AND MESSI

12. MORE OF MESSI TRAINING WITH SQUAD

SINGAPORE (FILE - OCTOBER 20, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

13. VARIOUS OF NAOMI OSAKA PRACTISING AHEAD OF THE WTA FINALS

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FILE - JANUARY 27, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

14. OSAKA POSING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN TROPHY, HER SECOND SUCCESSIVE GRAND SLAM TITLE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - SEPTEMBER 9, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

15. OSAKA POSING WITH THE U.S. OPEN TROPHY AFTER WINNING HER MAIDEN GRAND SLAM TITLE

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - JUNE 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

16. SERENA WILLIAMS PRACTISING AT WIMBLEDON

PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - MAY 21, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

17. VARIOUS OF SERENA WILLIAMS PRACTISING

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 30, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

18. SERENA WILLIAMS HITTING

STORY: Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked soccer's Lionel Messi off top spot, according to the annual Forbes list released on Friday (May 29).

The Swiss tennis great, owner of a men's record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earned $106.3 million dollars in the last 12 months, including $100 million dollars via endorsements, to move up four places and become the first player from his sport to top the list.

Soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo ($105 million dollars), Messi ($104 million dollars) and Neymar ($95.5 million dollars) and American basketball player LeBron James ($88.2 million dollars) rounded out the top five.

Japan's Naomi Osaka ($37.4 million dollars), who was ranked 29th on the list, surpassed fellow tennis player Serena Williams ($36 million dollars) as the world's highest-earning female athlete.

Osaka and Williams were the only women on the list.

(Production: Kurt Michael Hall)