Roger Federer

7 Roger Federer – $90 million

Roger Federer made nearly all of his $90 million in earnings from sponsorships with brands like Rolex, Credit Suisse and Uniqlo. Federer’s efforts on tour wound up costing him more than he earned in winnings but his sponsors carried the day. 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.

Nothing but nett: The world’s ten highest-paid athletes in 2020

Find out who the world’s ten highest-paid athletes are and how much they earned in the last year.

Roger Federer

7 Roger Federer – $90 million

Roger Federer made nearly all of his $90 million in earnings from sponsorships with brands like Rolex, Credit Suisse and Uniqlo. Federer’s efforts on tour wound up costing him more than he earned in winnings but his sponsors carried the day. 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.

Forbes have released their list of the highest-paid athletes in the world and while the global pandemic put a dent in some’s earnings, these sportspeople are unlikely to be applying to a relief fund any time soon.

According to the American business magazine paydays for the world’s top-earning athletes dropped for the first time in four years.

The highest-earning woman on the Forbes list is Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, who is 29th on the overall list.

The ten highest-paid athletes in 2020

10 Carson Wentz – $59.1M

The 27-year-old quarterback signed a contract extension in June 2019 worth $128 million committing his immediate future to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he has played since being drafted in 2016.

Wentz also has a robust endorsement portfolio with Nike, NRG, Bobcat, Amazon, Sanford Health, Bose, Scheels and BlackRidge Bank all attached.

He is the second-highest-paid athlete in the NFL.

9 Kirk Cousins – $60.5M

Kirk Cousins signed a two-year, $66 million contract extension with the NFL team the Minnesota Vikings in March 2020 that included a $30 million signing bonus. This helped make him the highest-paid player in the league.

The quarterback joined the Vikings in 2018 after six seasons in Washington where he set a number of records for the Redskins.

Highest-paid athletes Kirk Cousins
Highest-paid athletes – Kirk Cousins. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

8 Tiger Woods – $62.3M

Few things in life are certain apart from death, taxes and Tiger Woods making serious bank.

Woods captured his first PGA Tour win in five years at the 2018 Tour Championship and added a fifth green jacket at the 2019 Masters.

It has been off the course where some smart moves have boosted Woods back into the top ten highest-paid athletes.

Tiger Woods Masters 2019
Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after making a putt for birdie on the 15th green during the second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images

Publisher HarperCollins acquired the rights to “BACK” in late 2019. It is the first-ever memoir authored by Woods. TaylorMade and Woods released their co-created set of irons last year, his maiden set of signature clubs. His latest project, Payne’s Valley, is set to open in 2020 in Missouri and will be the first public golf course he designed.

7 Kevin Durant – $63.9M

After three years with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 under a whopping four-year, $164 million contract.

Durant is the third highest-paid player in the NBA despite being sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the 2019 NBA Finals.

Durant’s YouTube channel has over 800,000 subscribers, while his media company has deals with ESPN, Apple, Showtime and Fox.

6 Stephen Curry – $74.4M

Two-time MVP, Stephen Curry signed the NBA’s first $200 million contract in 2017 and has had the league’s top salary the past three seasons.

His company SC30, formed in 2017, manages his investments, brand partnerships and philanthropic ventures.

Curry’s production company, Unanimous Media, has a development deal with Sony Pictures.

Highest-paid athletes Stephen Curry
Highest-paid athletes – Stephen Curry. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

5 LeBron James – $88.2M

Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 under a four-year, $153 million contract.

He recently starred in the sequel to Space Jam following in the footsteps of icon Michael Jordan.

In 2018, James teamed up with Cindy Crawford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lindsey Vonn to launch Ladder, a health and wellness company.

4 Neymar – $95.5M

Highest-paid athletes
Neymar during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group E match between Serbia and Brazil at Spartak Stadium on June 27, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto/Sipa USA / RealTimeImages

Brazilian football superstar Neymar is on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million in salary.

In 2016, Nike’s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first football ambassador. In March 2020 its film unit released a movie about his life.

3 Lionel Messi – $104M

lionel messi champions league 2019
Barcelona’s Leo Messi reacts during the UEFA Champions League at the Camp Nou in 2019. Photo: EPA/Alejandro Garcia

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract through 2020-21 pays him over $80 million annually. The Argentine footballing genius also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.

The famous number 10 launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, The Messi Store, in September 2019 in Barcelona.

2 Cristiano Ronaldo – $105M

cristiano ronaldo juventus soccer 2019
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring for Juventus. Photo: Marco BERTORELLO / AFP.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus in 2018 after nine years with Real Madrid. The Portuguese legend took a pay cut to make the deal happen with his four-year deal worth $64 million annually.

Within 24 hours of release, Juventus sold 520,000 Ronaldo jerseys worth over $60 million.

1 Roger Federer – $106.3M

Highest-paid athlete
Switzerland’s Roger Federer reacts after his victory against Spain’s Rafael Nadal during their tennis match at The Match in Africa at the Cape Town Stadium, in Cape Town on February 7, 2020. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

Roger Federer became the world’s highest-paid athlete for the first time this year, thanks to a diverse portfolio of lucrative endorsement deals.

Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, secured his services in 2018 under a 10-year, $300 million deal.

The Roger Federer Foundation has raised more than $50 million and educated 1.5 million children in Africa since its launch.

View the full Forbes’ list of highest-paid athlete’s here