LandonBuford.com Staff
With Wimbledon finished and two new young champions crowned in Markéta Vondroušová and Carlos Alcaraz all eyes are on the next Grand Slam. The US Open will get underway at the end of August and many fans will likely be wagering on Carlos Alcaraz to build on his performance in London and win his second Grand Slam of the year and second Open championship. Tennis betting currently has him as the favorite to win the tournament just ahead of Novak Djokovic, who he beat in the Wimbledon final.
For their wins at Wimbledon, Alcaraz and Vondrousova both made an eyewatering £2.5 million. However, while Wimbledon is considered the biggest tournament in tennis, the US open boasts the biggest purse for winners with an incredible $60 million. With such sums available for winning these tournaments many wonder just how much the top stars make throughout their career. Let’s take a closer look.
Roger Federer
Granted he retired last season, but as the one of the highest earning tennis players of all time (and arguably the greatest) it is only right that we talk about Federer. From prize money, endorsements and appearance fees the Swiss star earned an astonishing $1 billion by the time he retired.
Although grand slam wins pay well, and Federer has a lot of them, it is the endorsements that really pushed his earnings up. He had sponsorship deals with Rolex, Lindt & Sprungli, Louis Vuitton and Wilson sporting goods to name a few. As one of the most recognizable faces in all of sports, he transcended the boundaries of tennis and is undoubtably the biggest star of the sport in the 21st century.
Rafael Nadal
From one legend to the next, Rafael Nadal was likely Federer’s greatest on-court rival and the two have had some of the most exhilarating matches of all time throughout the years. The Spaniard is famous for his success on clay earning him the nickname ‘King of Clay’. This was accented by his many wins in the Roland Garros, winning the tournament a record 14 times with the most recent coming last year.
He has earned $134 million from his on-court play and his endorsements have increased his wealth even more. He sports a luxury watch from Richard Mille as part of an endorsement deal and also has partnerships with Santander, Emporio Armani, Babolat and Tommy Hilfiger. The former world No. 1 has a net worth of around $220 million and is another of the most recognizable faces in the sport.
Serena Williams
The greatest and most dominant womens tennis player of all time, Serena’s earnings are only below the top male players because she played at a time where tournament winnings were not equal.
She is however the highest earning female athlete of all time and has earnt her place at the top of that pile. With 23 grand slams to her name and 73 overall titles, her success in the game is incredible and she is one of the most famous athletes of all time. It is no surprise that she has a number of high-profile endorsements deals with the likes of Gatorade, Nike, Ubrelvy, Audemars Piguet, and Berlei. She has a net worth of around $300 million and can look back on her career knowing she has earnt every penny.
Carlos Alcaraz
Although just 20 years old, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz has already made a huge splash on the sport. He has earnt over $19 million in his young career and looks to be the next big thing having just beaten Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. He has a long career ahead of him but the talent he possesses is undeniable and he has already caught the attention of some of the biggest brands in the world. He has deals with the likes of Calvin Klein, BMW, Nike, Rolex and racquet brand Babolat. He may have a bit of a way to go before he reaches the numbers of Nadal, Williams and Federer but should he carry on as he is going there is no doubting he can get that far and maybe even eclipse those greats.
Iga Swiatek
Another young star who looks set to dominate the sport in years to come is womens No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Like Alcaraz, the Polish player has won just over $19 million through her wins in the French and US open. She even has the backing of a legend after she signed an endorsement deal with Roger Federer-backed Swiss company on for clothing and shoes. She is the first female athlete to be signed to the brand. She has had deals with Asics and Nike and plenty of brands are now investing in the younger stars of the game.
