tennis

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

Many of tennis’ biggest stars are skipping this year’s U.S. Open. After all, why risk Covid when you are making millions off the court?



When the U.S. Open starts Monday, more than 300 of the world’s best tennis players will be competing for the chance to win $44 million in prize money, including $3 million each for the male and female singles champions.



For most of them, it could be the difference between a money-losing year and a profitable one. The pandemic has hit tennis especially hard. It’s a global sport that requires a lot of international travel. And financially, tennis players are essentially independent contractors, with no team to fall back on in tough times. In response, the sport has established a Player Relief Fund to distribute more than $6 million to help 800 struggling pros deal with the absence of prize money.



But the very top players have none of these concerns. Consider Roger Federer. The 39-year-oldSwiss tennis ace, who isn’t competing in the 2020 Open as he recovers from a pair of knee surgeries, once again lands at No. 1 on the&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;ranking of the highest-paid tennis players with pretax earnings of $106.3 million between June 2019 and June 2020. Not only is Federer—for the 15th&nbsp;straight year—the world’s highest-earning tennis player, but he is also the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/05/29/roger-federer-on-top-the-swiss-tennis-ace-scores-first-no-1-payday-with-106-million/#295aa8e718d9">top-earning athlete on the planet</a>&nbsp;– despite playing in only ten ATP tournaments during our scoring period and winning two of them.



“Top tennis players typically have enormous longevity, and longevity is helpful in establishing and growing brand value,” says Phil de Picciotto, founder and president of Stamford, Connecticut-basedsports agency Octagon. “They are also the best in the world at what they do on a very quantifiable basis, and people like the best.”



Most tennis endorsement contracts are built on low guarantees with bonuses for tournament performances and world rankings. A Grand Slam win can trigger a seven-figure bonus. In contrast, there are reductions when players don’t meet minimum play requirements, due to injury — or a pandemic. But the biggest stars lock in huge guarantees and are largely immune to the reductions.



Federer earned more than 95% of his income off the court this year. The 20-time Slam champ split from sneaker giant Nike in 2018 and&nbsp;signed a ten-year deal with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo. The deal clincher: Uniqlo promised $300 million whether he was playing tennis or not.&nbsp;



“We feel the greatest impact of Roger Federer is yet to come,” Uniqlo’s head of global creative<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/05/29/roger-federer-on-top-the-swiss-tennis-ace-scores-first-no-1-payday-with-106-million/#3ea2fd5918d9">&nbsp;John Jay told&nbsp;Forbes</a>&nbsp;in May. “Of course, it will be fueled by his status as the greatest of all time, but Roger’s ability to bring positive change to the world is his future and ours.”



Novak Djokovic, No. 2 on the list, earned $44.6 million, 72% of it from endorsements and appearance fees. Djokovic, the top-ranked men’s player, contracted Covid-19 in June but plans to play in New York next week.No. 3 Rafael Nadal won’t, citing Covid concerns. Nadal earned $40 million, 65% off the court.&nbsp;In all, the top ten players pocketed a combined $340 million, up from $312 million last year.



Tennis represents an appealing demographic in general for marketers, thanks to a well-heeledaudience that is evenly split between men and women—a rarity in big-time sports. At the 2019 U.S. Open, 78% of fansheld at least a bachelor’s degree, and the average household income was $216,000.



Women represent 40% of the earners on our list,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/05/22/naomi-osaka-is-the-highest-paid-female-athlete-ever-topping-serena-williams/#3fbf57bd1fd3">led by Japan’s Naomi Osaka</a>&nbsp;(No. 4, $37.4 million) and Serena Williams (No. 5, $36 million). Both are competing in the U.S. Open, but the other two top-earning athletes on the women’s side—Ashleigh Barty (No. 7, $13.1 million) and Simona Halep (No. 10, $10.9 million)—are skipping the event.



Despite playing only eight tournaments in 2019, Williams remains the most famous female athlete in the U.S., with a public awareness that tops Tom Brady, LeBron James and every other athlete not named Tiger Woods, according to Q Scores, which tracks consumer sentiment toward celebrities. Cashing in on her broad appeal—from Gen-Z to Baby Boomers; blue-collar to college educated—are sponsors like Nike, Gatorade, Procter &amp; Gamble and Beats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Roger Federer -Switzerland </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="619" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-1024x619.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47439" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-1024x619.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-scaled-300x181.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-scaled-600x363.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-768x464.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-1536x928.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1199253351-2048x1238.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $106.3 Million </blockquote>



Sponsors will continue to line Federer’s pockets while he is sidelined, but he will miss out on lucrative exhibitions, where fans pay top dollar to see Fed in spots he doesn’t usually play. He did a five-stop swing through Latin America in November that added more than $15 million to his bank account.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Novak Djokovic -Serbia </h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47431" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1019640744-2048x1364.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $44.6 Million</blockquote>



Djokovic is the<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2020/us-open-2020-schedule-draw-andy-murray-serena-williams-novak-djokovic-odds-in-new-york_sto7789872/story.shtml" target="_blank"> overwhelming favorite</a> to win the U.S. Open with Nadal and Federer staying at home with their combined 39 Grand Slam trophies. He has won five of the last seven Slam titles, and his $144 million in career prize money is the most all-time. Djokovic added Peugeot as an endorsement partner in 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Rafael Nadal -Spain </h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47430" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-451367404-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $40 Million </blockquote>



The Spaniard is one of the biggest draws in tennis and can command appearance fees of more than $1 million. Nadal is the greatest clay-court player of his generation and captured a pair of Grand Slams in 2019, including his 12th French Open title and fourth U.S. Open.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Naomi Osaka -Japan</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47440" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1087813666-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $37.4 Million</blockquote>



Osaka held dual Japanese and American citizenship growing up but wisely chose to represent Japan ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, now scheduled for 2021. The decision made her an even hotter commodity for sponsors, like Procter &amp; Gamble, All Nippon Airways and Nissin, all of which signed deals with Osaka to use her around marketing for the Games. Among tennis players, only Roger Federer made more than Osaka from endorsements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Serena Williams -United States of America </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47426" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-995363656-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $36 Million </blockquote>



Williams has invested in more than 50 startups over the past six years through Serena Ventures. Her firm is focused on companies founded by women and minorities, accounting for 60% of the investments. She has made $93 million in career prize money, twice as much as any other female athlete.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Kei Nishikori -Japan</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47432" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1083442212-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $32.1 Million</blockquote>



Nishikori has been sidelined since the 2019 U.S. Open, first with an elbow injury and then by the coronavirus shutdown and will miss the Open after testing positive for Covid this month. The Japanese tennis ace was set to be one of the most prominent faces of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo before they were postponed. His endorsement partners include Asahi, NTT, Japan Airlines, Lixil, Procter &amp; Gamble and Nissin, which are all official Olympics sponsors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Ashleigh Barty- Australia </h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="649" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-1024x649.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47433" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-600x380.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-768x487.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-1536x973.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1139330242-2048x1298.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $13.1 Million</blockquote>



Barty had a career year in 2019 with $11.3 in prize money, second-most ever on the WTA Tour behind only Serena’s $12.4 million in 2013(Barty’s $10.1 million in our ranking represents her winnings from June 2019 to June 2020). She won her first career Slam at the 2019 French Open, triggering lucrative bonuses from sponsors Fila and Head. She is the first Australian woman ranked No. 1 since Evonne Goolagong way back in 1976.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Daniil Medvedev- Russia </h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1165549003-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by DOMINICK REUTER/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $11.8 Millions</blockquote>



The Russian reached six straight ATP Tour finals in 2019, something only the Big Three (Federer, Djokovic, Nadal) and Andy Murray had done since 2000. Good timing for Lacoste, which added Medvedev to its roster earlier in 2019 and got major exposure with his deep runs in events. Medvedev landed endorsement deals with BMW, Russian finance brand Tinkoff and Bovet watches after he reached the U.S. Open final last September, when he lost to Nadal in five sets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Dominic Thiem- Austria</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="697" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-1024x697.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47436" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-1024x697.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-scaled-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-scaled-600x409.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-1536x1046.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1056446352-2048x1394.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: $11.1 Million</blockquote>



The 26-year-old Austrian reached the finals of the 2020 Australian Open and 2019 French Open but has yet to win his first Slam. Thiem is currently ranked No. 3 in the world and endorses Adidas, Babolat, Red Bull, Bank Austria, Rolex and Sky Sport.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Simona Halep- Romania</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Total Earnings: 10.9 Million </blockquote>



Halep has won $36.5 million in career prize money, fourth all-time on the women’s side. The 28-year-old Romanian won her second career Slam title at Wimbledon last year. Her major sponsors include global brands Nike, Wilson, Hublot and Avon.



-Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes Staff

Miami Open 2019 – Day 3

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

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

Tag: Novak Djokovic

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

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

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

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