Roger Federer tops list of highest-earning tennis players in the world

It has now been almost an entire year since Roger Federer was last seen in action on the men's tennis circuit. The Swiss maestro might be absent on the court, but he continues to reign supreme off it as he has yet again emerged as the highest-paid tennis player in the world.

Federer ranks eighth on the list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in 2022 across various sports, according to a newly-released report by Sportico. With a whopping $85.7 million earned over the past 12 months, the former World No. 1 has pipped all other tennis players on this list.

He was also the highest-paid tennis player in 2021, with total earnings of $90.6 million, as per Forbes.

What makes Federer's presence in the 2022 list surprising is the fact that he has hardly played any tennis in the past 11 months. As per the aforementioned report, only $700,000 of Federer's total earnings of $85.7 million came from winnings or salaries. That means, he has earned as much as $85 million from endorsements, which helped him gain a spot among the top-10 highest-paid sportspersons in the world.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion's $85 million from endorsements is also among the highest in the world, just behind basketball legend LeBron James. Even when he is not playing, Federer continues to be an attractive proposition for sponsors.

The 40-year-old was joined by women's superstars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams as the only other tennis players in the top 100.

Roger Federer is building towards a comeback

Roger Federer last played during the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

One of the all-time greats, Roger Federer last featured during the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.

Shortly afterwards, the eight-time Wimbledon champion underwent a third knee surgery.

Just as a comeback started to look like a distant dream, Federer announced that he had signed up to play the Swiss Indoors event in Basel, Switzerland, in October. He is also expected to play in the Laver Cup shortly before his home tournament.

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