Roger Federer, LeBron James in Forbes' highest-paid athletes in 2023 list

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the elite list after signing a mega deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in January.

Lebron James and Roger Federer are ranked fourth and ninth respectively on the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2023, released on May 2, 2023. Federer is the only tennis player on the list, while James is one of three NBA stars to rank inside the top 10 of the highest-paid athletes in 2023.

Footballers continue to dominate the list as Portugal and Al-Nassr FC player Cristiano Ronaldo sits in the top spot by accumulating $136 million over the past year. He is closely followed by Argentinian and PSG star Lionel Messi ($130 million) with his club teammate and France international, Kylian Mbappe ($120 million) completing the top three in the top 10 highest-paid athletes list.

Swiss legend Roger Federer announced his retirement from competitive tennis in September 2022 and hung up his racket after playing one final match alongside Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup. In 2022, Federer earned $90 million through endorsements and 99% of this year’s earnings once again came from endorsements as he only played one match over the past year.

The 20-time grand slam champion has long-standing deals with Uniqlo, Rolex, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz and Switzerland Tourism, to name a few. The 41-year-old also has a significant stake in the fast-growing Swiss shoe company On.

NBA superstar LeBron James became the first active athlete to be certified a billionaire by Forbes. The Los Angeles Lakers forward is behind the sports nutrition company Ladder and the SpringHill Company, which develops and produces TV and other entertainment content.

The 38-year-old also has a stake in Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He recently invested in a Major League Pickleball team while proclaiming his desire to someday own an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas.

Apart from Lebron James, Stephen Curry ($100.4 million) and Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) are the only two other NBA players to make the top 10.