Roger Federer joins elite list, becomes seventh-ever billionaire athlete

The Swiss legend is also only the second tennis player to achieve the billionaire athlete status.

Roger Federer has served up another ace, this time off the court when he became just the seventh athlete to step into the circle of billionaires.

Federer, who started playing tennis at the age of 3, turned pro in 1998 and broke through by winning the singles title at Wimbledon in 2003. Federer won 103 tournaments in his 24-year ATP Tour career, hauling in close to $131 million in prize money.

He is the third-highest earner in tennis, trailing only Novak Djokovic ($189 million) and Rafael Nadal ($135 million).

The former tennis star switched over from Nike in 2018 to sign a lucrative apparel deal with Japanese brand Uniqlo. The contract with Uniqlo was worth $300 million over a period of 10 years.

Federer is just the second tennis player on the list of billionaires. The first was Romanian Ion Tiriac, who won the 1970 French Open men’s doubles championship. Tiriac made his fortune after the fall of communism.

Also Read: Roger Federer 103 titles: Breakdown by opponents, cities, tournaments

He officially joined the list in 2007, with an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion. Tiriac’s business interests are spread across real estate, car dealerships, and financial services.

Roger Federer’s curated list of sponsors, including Lindt, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, and Moët & Chandon, added to his marketing allure. The high-profile brands he signed up with made him a byword for elegance and sophistication.

A stake in the publicly traded Swiss shoe and apparel brand On earned Federer a spot on the Forbes list of billionaires. His 3% share in On boosted his net worth to $1.1 billion.  The Swiss icon involved himself in the brand’s efforts to develop an on-court tennis shoe and a lifestyle apparel line.

Also Read: Top five best hard court individual seasons in men’s singles tennis

On went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. The firm now has a capitalization of nearly $15 billion. The firm’s share price witnessed a substantial upswing from its listing price, making Federer’s 3% share worth more than $375 million.

The Swiss-based firm has sponsorship deals in place with the likes of Joao Fonseca, Flavio Cobolli, Iga Swiatek, and Ben Shelton. Up-and-coming Swiss player Henry Bernet, the 2025 Australian Open juniors champion, inked a deal with On in January.  

Federer’s portfolio includes investments in private plane operator NetJets, eyewear brand Oliver Peoples, and UBS bank.

The exclusive list also features basketball stars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James, along with Junior Bridgeman of the Milwaukee Bucks. Also on the list is Tiger Woods, who, along with James, ascended to billionaire status while still active.

Roger Federer co-founded management company Team 8 with longtime agent Tony Godsick in 2013. The Laver Cup, an annual team tennis tournament that pits six European men against six players from the rest of the world, is the product of their collaboration.

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