Roger Federer Overtakes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo In World’s Highest Paid Athletes

There is no bigger name in tennis than the great Swiss Maestro himself Roger Federer. While it was reported in 2019 that he was among the highest-paid athletes in the world, the 2020 Forbes figures indicate the tennis legend has already made the top of the list.

But it’s also no surprise that the world’s highest-paid athletes in previous years include Messi and Ronaldo given their impact on the world. The debate between the two continues until this day as several arguments on both sides continue to pile up.

The accomplishments of Messi and Ronaldo are not enough to conclude how much influence the two have had on the global impact of football. Throughout Messi’s professional career, he has tallied a total of six Ballon d’Or awards. The Argentinean has propelled himself as a global icon as he’s spent his entire career with Barcelona.

Equally as brilliant, Ronaldo has also tallied multiple awards himself with five Ballon d’Or trophies. The Portuguese icon has served multiple clubs throughout his career and has hauled several awards as a professional.

While these two are still mainstays in the prestigious list, the impact of the coronavirus has caused the two to dip in terms of their earnings.

But their great achievements are still enough for a spot in Forbes’ highest-paid athletes with Ronaldo coming in at $105 million and Messi at $104 million. These figures have dropped considering the impact of the global pandemic as Ronaldo and Messi had $109 and $127 million respectively in last year's ranking.

While these two dominate the pitch, Federer was able to overtake these two giants and claim the highest point on the list. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is listed to earn $100 million in endorsements and $6.3 million in his salary and winnings.

Federer is known to be the poster boy of Rolex as he shows off the elegance of the brand. The image Federer portrays as a classy superstar is combined with the prestige of world-renowned tournaments such as Wimbledon. It’s important to note that Federer holds the most title in men’s singles action in Wimbledon with eight championships.

These top athletes continue to dominate their respective sports while they pile up earnings from their incentives.