Tennis legend Roger Federer was knocked off the perch as the highest-paid athlete and slipped to No 7 in the Forbes rich list.
The 20-time major champion Federer played one event in 2020—the Australian Open.
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And though he made only US $ 714, 792 in prize money, he raked in $90 million off the field to still make the top-10 in Forbes’ list — the only tennis player to do so– of World’s highest paid athletes in 2020.
“Out of commission for much of the last year with a knee injury, Roger Federer made nearly all of his $90 million in earnings from sponsorships with brands like Rolex, Credit Suisse and Uniqlo,” Forbes.com wrote.
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“The tennis legend’s biggest payday yet may come from his stake in Swiss athletic apparel company On, which is reportedly eyeing an autumn 2021 IPO.”
The Swiss star had become the first tennis player to top Forbes’ rich list last year.
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Federer 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.
In the latest list, released by Forbes on Wednesday, MMA star Conor McGregor was first with a total earning of $180 million – out of which $158 million was from endorsements.
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Football stars Lionel Messi ($130 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($120 million) were second and third respectively and Brazil’s Neymar was placed sixth having earned $95 million last year.
Having undergone two knee surgeries last year, Federer attempted a comeback in Doha in March. The 39-year-old had gone down to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in a tough three-setter in the quarterfinals.
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He is set to play the Geneva Open, which begins on May 16. It will be the only clay-court event he will play before Roland Garros.
