Federer leads list of top moneymakers in tennis

Photo source AFP

NEW YORK: Roger Federer has not won a Grand Slam title this year but the 17-time Grand Slam champion topped Forbes magazine's list of the 10 top tennis moneymakers announced Monday (Aug 25).

The Swiss star made US$56.2 million (S$70.2 million) from July of last year through this past June, with endorsement deals from such firms as Rolex and Nike bringing the lion's share of that total, more than US$40 million. At age 33, Federer owns three tiles in 2014 and was a Wimbledon runner-up, dropping the final in five sets to top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

Five men and five women made this year's list. Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who won his ninth French Open crown this past June, ranked second on the list at US$44.5 million but was on the sidelines Monday as the US Open began in New York because of a wrist injury. Nadal had US$30 million in sponsor money.

Serbia's Djokovic was third with US$33.1 million that included US$12.1 million in prize money. Russian Maria Sharapova was fourth overall but topped the women on the list with US$24.4 million, US$22 million of it from endorsements.

China's Lia Na, who won her second Grand Slam title in January at the Australian Open, was fifth on US$23.6 million with US$18 million in endorsement income. She is absent from the US Open with a knee injury. World number one Serena Williams ranked sixth on the money list with US$22 million, half from prize money.

Britain's Andy Murray, whose earnings jumped more than US$4 million after he became the first British man to win the Wimbledon crown since 1936 last year, ranked seventh on US$19.1 million, with US$15 million of that from endorsements. With his adidas contract expiring this year, a lucrative new deal with adidas or Nike could raise his total next year no matter how he fares at this year's US Open.

Victoria Azarenka was eighth at US$11.1 million, with US$7.5 million from endorsements, with Japan's Kei Nishikori ninth on US$11 million that included US$9 million in sponsorship deals and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 10th on US$10.8 million, US$9.5 million of that from endorsements.