According to Ben Church of CNN on Friday, tennis icon Roger Federer of Basel, Switzerland has become the highest-paid athlete in the world. Federer, who was number three at this time a year ago, has passed soccer superstars Christiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina from number three to number one.
In the last year, Federer has made $106.3 million. It is the first time ever that a tennis player is number one in terms of total income according to Forbes magazine.
One reason why Federer is so popular is because of his brand. Federer has created a clothing line that has become extremely notable. On all items of clothing you can find his initials, in a unique design. His sponsors include Uniqlo, Lindt, Rolex, Gillette, and Mercedes-Benz. However, what makes Federer even more remarkable is the fact that he has given back over $40 million to his foundation.
On the court over this past year, Federer won two tennis tournaments. He defeated David Goffin of Belgium 7-6, 6-1 in the final of the Halle Open in Germany on June 23, and then defeated Alex De Minaur of Australia 6-2, 6-2, in the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland on October 27.
To say that Federer has been dominant at the Halle Open and the Swiss Indoors is an understatement. Federer has now won 10 Halle Open titles dating back to 2003, and 10 Swiss Indoor titles dating back to 2006. Currently, Federer is ranked fourth in the world, at age 38. He trails Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Rafael Nadal of Spain, and Dominic Thiem of Austria.
