Roger Federer is regarded as one of the greatest athletes in tennis and with that comes millions in prize money and around $1 billion in endorsements. It’s understandable, then, if you’re curious how much he made over his 24-year career and what Roger Federer’s net worth is now that he’s retired.
After 20 Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic medals, and holding the record for the longest consecutive weeks as world No. 1 (237 weeks, to be exact), Federer announced he was retiring from tennis on September 15, 2022. “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” he said in an audio clip shared on social media. “I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old, I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamed and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.” He continued that the Laver Cup in London would be his final professional tournament, though he would continue to play tennis recreationally. “This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth.”
What is Roger Federer’s net worth?
Roger Federer. Getty Images
Roger Federer’s net worth is estimated to be around $550 million and has earned $130.5 million in prize money over more than two decades in the sport. Because everyone has to start somewhere, Federer started off earning a modest $28,00 in his first year of professional tennis. Year by year, his career earnings grew to $129 million by the time of his retirement. That’s the third highest in tennis history, just under Rafael Nadal’s $131.6m and Novak Djokovic’s total of $145m. 2007 was his most lucrative year on the court, earning $10.1 million. Federer has often charted high on the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. As of 2022, he was ranked number seven overall even though injuries plagued what would be his final year of professional tennis. On the court in 2022, Federer brought in just $700,000 (we say “just” because of how much he’s earned in previous years), but off-court, he raked in an impressive $90 million. That’s because Federer has a heap of endorsement deals.
In 2018, he inked a 10-year, $300 million contract with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo and brought in roughly $86 million from other endorsements like Credit Suisse, Rolex and Mercedes-Benz. According to Celebrity Net Worth, that makes him the top earner in endorsements over any other athlete in the world. Federer also invested in the burgeoning Swiss footwear brand, On, in 2019. The company went public in September 2022 and raised more than $600 million, according to Forbes. Federer told the magazine at the time that he has a hands-on, collaborative role in the company. “We work very closely together on product design. They really listen and they want to get as close to perfect as possible,” he told the magazine.
How long was Roger Federer’s career?
Roger Federer. Getty Images
Roger Federer called it quits after 24 years in professional tennis on September 15, 2022. As an ambitious 16-year-old, his professional tennis career began in 1998 with a match against Lucas Arnold Ker at the ATP Gstaad. The very next year, he debuted for the Swiss Davis Cup team and finished 1999 with a ranking of world no. 66–he was the youngest player to break the top 100. But the now-tennis champion admitted in a 2014 interview with Sports Illustrated that it took him a while to get his bearings professionally and questioned whether this was something he wanted to do as a career. “I struggled early in my career. I wouldn’t want to go to practice, or I would play for 45 minutes and feel so flat or not enjoy it. ‘Why am I doing this? Can I do it tomorrow?’ Those kind of feelings,” he said. “I had so many of these moments that I [finally] said, ‘I’m not going to waste practices anymore, I’m not going to do this anymore, I’m going to be professional.’ In the process, I started to really enjoy it.”
That shift in his mentality was apparent because, in 2001, Federer’s professional career began picking up steam. He got his first ATP tournament win, defeating French player Julien Boutter in the final of the Milan Indoor competition. The world knew Federer was going to be something special during the Wimbledon tournament of 2001 when he entered as the 15th seed (15th top player in the professional leagues). In the quarterfinals, Federer faced off against the four-time defending champion Pete Sampras as a 19-year-old. It would be the only time Federer and Sampras would compete against each other and it was over in a thrilling five sets and 3 hours, 41 minutes of play. The young Swiss would put an end to Sampras’s 31-match winning streak, though he was beaten in the following round of the tournament. “This match will give me as much confidence as I can get,” the young Federer said at the time. “This is the biggest win of my life.” Sampras added: “There are a lot of young guys coming up, but Roger is a bit extra special.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Federer earned the title of world Number 1 in July 2012 and would spend a total of 310 weeks in this coveted position. He’s won Wimbledon eight times, the Australian Open six times, the French Open once and the US Open five times in a row. His career boasts 20 Grand Slam titles, 103 titles and 1,256 singles matches in 24 years.
Reactions to Roger Federer’s retirement
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal. Getty Images
News of Federer’s retirement hit the tennis world hard. Rafael Nadal, who’s won 22 Grand Slam titles, tweeted a lengthy tribute to his friend and former competitor, noting how special Federer’s contribution to this sport has been. “Dear Roger, my friend and rival,” he tweeted. “I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court. We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that. For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London.”
Wimbledon, where Federer won a record of eight men’s singles Grand Slams said: “Roger, where do we begin? It’s been a privilege to witness your journey and see you become a champion in every sense of the word. We will so miss the sight of you gracing our courts, but all we can say for now is thank you, for the memories and joy you have given to so many.” The current men’s Number 1 Carlos Alcaraz tweeted: “Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration! Thank you for everything you have done for our sport! I still want to play with you! Wish you all the luck in the world for what comes next!” while the women’s No. 1 Iga Świątek said “I just want to thank you for everything you’ve done and everything you are for our sport. It’s been a privilege to witness your career. I wish you all the best.”
Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings. Macmillan
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission from the sale.