The incredible life of Roger Federer, the highest-paid tennis player in the world
This is 37-year-old Roger Federer, the highest-paid tennis player in the world. He has an estimated net worth of $450 million.
Federer has been a force to be reckoned with on the hard courts this year, winning the Dubai Championships, the Miami Open, and reaching the final of Indian Wells. He's risen from seventh in February back up to third in the ATP world rankings.
Source: ATP.
He's not too interested in his current ranking, though.
"For me, the ranking, at 37 years old, is no longer really the priority," Federer said at a media event earlier this year. Instead, he's focusing on his health and winning the big tournaments, which might mean skipping smaller events here and there.
His success trails back to the age of eight, when he started playing tennis. Born in Basel, Switzerland, on August 8, 1981, his Swiss father, Robert Federer, and South African mother, Lynette Du Rand, encouraged him to play from an early age.
His parents both worked for the same pharmaceutical company.
At 14, Federer became the national junior champion in Switzerland. He joined the junior tennis circuit in 1996, and won the junior Wimbledon title in 1998. In this photo, from Wimbledon 2000, he is 19 years old.
Source: Biography.com
Federer's big break came in 2003, when he won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon against runner-up Mark Philippousis. He was just 21 at the time. He received £575,000 ($714,460) for his victory.
Source: British Tennis.
One year later, he signed a sponsorship deal with watchmaker Maurice Lacroix. Later, Rolex struck an endorsement deal with Federer worth a reported $15 million. Here he is wearing an impossible-to-find, $14,000 Rolex Sky-Dweller back in 2018. Perks of being an ambassador.
Roger Federer is one of Rolex's best-known ambassadors, and you won't see him lifting a trophy without one of the luxury watches on his wrist, each of them hand-picked to match the tournament.
Read more: The most expensive watches worn by 21 of the world's most elite athletes
Source: Bob's Watches.
The majority of his $77 million income is thanks to endorsement deals and partnerships, which he is known for across the globe. He's won $3 million in prize money from tennis tournaments in 2019, bringing his career total prize winnings to more than $123 million.
In 2007, he was signed by Gillette, starring in a number of adverts for the company.
In 2008, Federer signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with Nike worth almost $120 million. The partnership ended in March 2018.
Source: Forbes.
Last summer, Federer made headlines when he swapped Nike for lesser-known Uniqlo in a 10-year deal estimated to be worth $300 million. The deal with the Japanese brand had been "a long time coming," Federer said at Wimbledon 2018.
In a recent Uniqlo ad, Federer tried his hand at the piano, and said he'd like to practice more so he can surprise his wife.
In 2009, Federer signed another 10-year contract, this time with Credit Suisse. The firm declined to comment on the contract's value at the time, but it's thought to be worth around $20 million.
Source: The Telegraph.
The player is also known for his charity work. He founded the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003, which has since raised $40 million and recently hit its goal of educating one million children in Africa by the end of 2018. He still finds time to visit children who benefit from his charity.
Source: Forbes, Tennis World USA.
As a dedicated athlete, he spends a lot of money on his equipment. He has his rackets made by P1, a company which also counts Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as clients.
Source: The New Yorker.
He likes the finer things in life, too. In 2014, Federer completed the construction of a modern-looking mansion on Lake Zurich worth around $8.1 million.
As well as owning other properties in Switzerland, he also keeps a penthouse in Dubai, where he spends much of the year training.
Source: Basel Shows.
Thanks to his role as a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, Federer also has a large car collection. He partnered with the German auto-maker in 2008, and renewed the deal in 2018. The multiyear partnership is estimated to earn the tennis star $5 million a year.
Source: Tennis World USA.
When he's not on the court, Federer is a keen hiker. Last year, he appeared on "Running Wild with Bear Grylls." "Just slightly upset that he beat me at mini ping-pong on the top of the cliff face," Grylls said.
Source: Tennis World USA.
That's not to say the athlete doesn't like to party in his downtime. He's an ambassador for Moet & Chandon champagne, which recently released a limited-edition bottle to mark his 20th year in professional tennis. The 20 bottles sold for $23,000 a pop — but all the proceeds went to the Roger Federer Foundation.
Source: Adweek.
After winning his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, Federer complained of a "head-ringing" hangover the day after. "[I] got to bed at 5 a.m., then woke up, and just didn’t feel good. The last hour or so I’m somewhat okay again. I'm happy with that."
![After winning his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, Federer complained of a "head-ringing" hangover the day after. "[I] got to bed at 5 a.m., then woke up, and just didn’t feel good. The last hour or so I’m somewhat okay again. I](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-70457634,width-700,height-525,imgsize-953183/after-winning-his-eighth-wimbledon-title-in-2017-federer-complained-of-a-head-ringing-hangover-the-day-after-i-got-to-bed-at-5-a-m-then-woke-up-and-just-didnt-feel-good-the-last-hour-or-so-im-somewhat-okay-again-im-happy-with-that-.jpg)
Source: Business Insider.
When Federer goes out for dinner, variety is clearly the spice of life. "I am a lover of Italian, Japanese, and Indian restaurants," he said recently.
Source: International Business Times.
Some of his fortune also went on his wedding to former professional tennis player Mirka Vavrinec in Basel, Switzerland. They had their first kiss at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and got married in 2009.
Source: Telegraph, MailOnline.
They have two sets of twins together. Daughters Charleyne Riva and Myla Rose are nine, while sons Lenny and Leo are five.
His wife is his source of fashion advice. "I used to wear jogging shoes, jeans and a practice shirt, then when Mirka met me, she would look and go, 'Errr, are you sure about this look?'"
Source: GQ.
Federer's worst fashion mistake came when he won Wimbledon in 2007.
"I went to receive the trophy, and as I walk down I'm a bit nervous, and as I put my hands in my pockets I realise that the pockets are going backwards," he said. "I was like: 'It's too late! I can't change them anymore!' I lifted the trophy, and the pants were on backwards."
If you look closely in this picture you can see that his trousers are on back-to-front.
With his 38th birthday closing in, Federer has taken some time to consider his retirement. He recently told a Swiss newspaper that he has bought "an old bus from the 60s," which he plans to drive around Europe once he has some spare time.
This is an updated version of a post originally written by Edith Hancock published on January 31, 2017.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement