Who are the richest tennis players of all time? Here’s a list of the highest-paid tennis legends (both male and female) and their net worth in 2024.
Tennis is a sport that has captivated audiences worldwide with its grace, skill, and intensity. It’s a game of endurance, precision, and strategy that has produced some of the greatest athletes in history.
From legends like Bjorn Borg, Martina Navratilova, and Pete Sampras to current icons like Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal, tennis has a rich tradition of excellence that has inspired generations of fans and players alike.
With the rising popularity of the sport, the top tennis players are now some of the highest-paid athletes in the world. In this article, TheDistin will delve into the top 10 richest and highest-paid tennis players of all time, exploring their incredible talent, hard work, and the millions of dollars they’ve earned along the way.
Top 10 Tennis Players of all time and their net worth
Who are the richest men and women to have ever played the game professionally? Keep reading to find out…
10. John McEnroe: $100 Million
The tenth wealthiest on the list is one of the most controversial players of all time, famed not just for his superb tennis abilities but also for his hot temper!
He won seven Grand Slam singles titles in the 1980s, all of which came at the US Open and Wimbledon. He also won seven Tour Finals and five Davis Cup titles with the US team.
Throughout his career, McEnroe won over $12.5 million in prize money.
His personality made him hugely marketable, meaning that he was able to clinch many high-paying sponsorship deals with companies like Sergio Tacchini, a huge name in ’80s tennis.
What is John McEnroe’s net worth? John McEnroe is a former American World No. 1 professional tennis player who has a net worth of $100 million.
9. Andy Murray: $100 Million
Sir Andy Murray is a national treasure in the UK, loved by many for finally winning Wimbledon, 77 years after the last Brit won the trophy.
He’s won Wimbledon twice, plus the US Open, and has finished as runner-up at the Australian Open five times, as well as once at the French Open. What’s more, he has two Olympic gold medals.
Murray is the fourth-highest earner of all time on the ATP Tour, having won prize money totaling over $62.7 million throughout his career.
He has also had lucrative deals with some huge brands, including Adidas, Royal Bank of Scotland, Head, and Under Armour.
This year, he’s teamed up with celebrity nail artist Michelle Humphrey for a collection of Wimbledon-inspired manicures.
What is Andy Murray’s net worth? Sir Andy Murray is a professional tennis player from Scotland who has a net worth of $100 million.
8. Andre Agassi: $145 Million
Next up comes Andre Agassi, another player who enjoyed considerable success in the 1990s, achieving eight grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal among other accolades.
The American, who retired in 2006, is married to fellow tennis superstar Steffi Graf, and they are the only players in tennis history to have achieved a career golden slam.
As you might imagine, Agassi earned a considerable sum of money while playing, winning over $31.1 million from tournament prize money.
Companies like Donnay and Mazda sponsored him.
Since retiring, he has formed Agassi Graf Holdings, along with his wife, who has made numerous investments, as well as giving back to the world with the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.
What is Andre Agassi’s net worth? Retired professional American tennis player, Andre Agassi has a net worth of $145 million
7. Pete Sampras: $150 Million
Pete Sampras dominated the world of men’s tennis in the 1990s.
Throughout his career, he managed to win 14 Grand Slam titles, with the French Open being the only one to elude him.
He is particularly remembered for his serve-and-volley play, which played a huge part in his winning seven Wimbledon titles.
Sampras is the fifth-highest earner in ATP Tour history, having won over $43.2 million during his career. His best year was 1997 when he managed to win a total of $5.7 million.
For most of his tennis career, Wilson was his primary sponsor. He also had sponsorship from Pizza Hut, Dannon, Nike, and others.
What is Pete Sampras’s net worth? Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player who has a net worth of $150 million.
6. Maria Sharapova: $180 Million
Maria Sharapova was one of the most feared players on the women’s tennis circuit, winning all four Grand Slams in her career.
She won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2004 when she was just 17 years old. The former world number one retired in 2020, aged just 32.
Sharapova has earned the fourth-highest amount of prize money ever on the WTA Tour, winning prizes worth nearly $39 million.
The fact that the Russian is so marketable meant that she had many big sponsorship deals with brands like Motorola, Tiffany, and Porsche.
What is Maria Sharapova’s net worth? Former Russian professional tennis player Maria Sharapova has a net worth of $180 million. She also earned over $300 million in sponsorships, endorsements, and appearances.
5. Rafael Nadal: $220 Million
Next, we come to perhaps the greatest clay court player of all time, Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard is the all-time leader with 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and the only men’s player in history to complete a career at the Grand Slam twice and win two Olympic gold medals.
Nadal has won over $130.6 million in prize money, which puts him only second behind Novak Djokovic.
He has a long-standing deal with Nike, which has sponsored him since 2008 and supplies his clothing and footwear
Nadal has also worked with many other brands, including Emporio Armani and PokerStars. Since 2004, he’s also been a global ambassador for Kia Motors.
What is Rafael Nadal’s net worth? Rafael Nadal is a Spanish professional tennis player who has a net worth of $220 million.
4. Novak Djokovic: $240 Million
In fourth place is Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis sensation who, along with Federer and Nadal, has dominated the men’s tennis world for many years.
Nobody in tennis has won more prize money than Djokovic, who has earned over $156.5 million. If this list were based solely on career earnings, he’d be the richest tennis player in the world.
Djokovic is a 20-time Grand Slam champion and the only player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 events multiple times, for a record total of 38 titles.
He has also had endorsements with many companies and several business interests made via his family’s investment company.
The tennis superstar owns some restaurants in Serbia called Novak Café & Restaurant.
What is Novak Djokovic’s net worth? Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has a net worth of $240 million.
3. Serena Williams: $300 Million
Serena Williams is one of the greatest players of all time.
Her tally of 23 Grand Slam singles titles is second only to Margaret Court in the Open Era, and overall, she has won 73 career singles titles.
She is also a prolific doubles player, along with her sister Venus. The pair has won 22 titles, including 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic gold medals.
No female tennis player has won more in prize money than Serena Williams, who has earned more than $94.5 million over her incredible career so far.
Of course, she’s highly marketable, which adds to her wealth considerably.
She currently has endorsement deals with Nike, Aston Martin, Beats by Dre, Bumble, Pepsi, and a ton more.
What is Serena Williams’ net worth? World champion professional tennis player Serena Williams has a net worth of $300 million.
2. Roger Federer: $550 Million
At number two on the list is Roger Federer, who is often described as the greatest male tennis player of all time.
He’s tied with Djokovic in second place for the most Grand Slam wins behind Nadal, with both men having 20—two fewer than the Spaniard.
He has won Wimbledon, the most prestigious tournament in tennis, a record eight times.
Federer has earned just over $130.5 million in prize money and a huge amount more from endorsements, working with companies like Mercedes-Benz and Nike.
Until 2028, he has a 10-year deal with Uniqlo that’s worth a whopping $300 million (and three times his Nike earnings, according to Fox Sports).
What is Roger Federer’s net worth? Roger Federer is a Swiss-born retired professional tennis player who has a net worth of $550 million and makes a salary of $70 million annually.
1. Ion Tiriac: $2 Billion
Who is the richest tennis player of all time? Ion Tiriac, a Romanian businessman and former professional ice hockey and tennis player, is currently the wealthiest tennis player of all time. His fortune rakes in billions of dollars.
Ion Tiriac was a tennis player who managed to win one Grand Slam title—the men’s doubles at the 1970 French Open.
Before this, he was an ice hockey player, representing Romania at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
After he retired as a tennis player in the 1970s, Tiriac coached and managed top players like Guillermo Vilas, Marat Safin, and Boris Becker.
What is Ion Tiriac’s net worth? Romanian businessman Ion Tiriac is the richest tennis player of all time. Heading the Tiriac Group, which has interests in real estate, auto, financial services, and more, the former tennis player has a net worth of $2 billion, according to Forbes. He was first included on the Forbes billionaires list in 2007 – no Romanian had been included on the list before.
Tiriac’s enormous net worth comes from his investments.
He founded the first private bank in post-communist Romania and also started some other businesses in various niches.
Summary
Tennis players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, winning hundreds of thousands, and sometimes even millions, in a single tournament.
And that’s before any endorsement deals, business ventures, and other partnerships.
Below is a complete list of the all-time richest tennis players in the world, how much do they make, and their Net worth estimations by Forbes and Celebrity as of 2023…
- Ion Tiriac – $2 Billion
- Roger Federer – $550 Million
- Serena Williams – $300 Million
- Novak Djokovic – $220 Million
- Rafael Nadal – $220 Million
- Maria Sharapova – $180 Million
- Pete Sampras – $150 Million
- Andre Agassi – $145 Million
- Andy Murray – $100 Million
- John McEnroe – $100 Million
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the wealthiest tennis player?
The world’s richest tennis player is Ion Tiriac, Romanian businessman and former professional ice hockey and tennis player who has a net worth of $2 billion
Who are the top ten richest male tennis players?
The world’s 10 richest tennis players are Ion Tiriac, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Andy Murray, and John McEnroe.
Who is richer Venus or Serena?
While both sisters have had highly profitable careers that transcend the tennis court, Serena’s net worth is $300 million higher than her older sister Venus, who has a net worth of $95 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Why is Federer so much richer than Nadal?
Federer has a higher net worth than Nadal. Roger Federer’s clear willingness to be ‘marketed’ made him a more lucrative prospect for sponsors during his illustrious career and has a fortune of $550 million than his great rival Rafael Nadal, according to Nike’s influential former tennis director Mike Nakajima. Nadal has a fortune of $220 million.
Who are the top 5 richest female tennis players?
For the third straight year, Naomi Osaka tops Forbes’ annual list of the World’s highest-paid female athletes. Osaka leads a pack of seven players who placed inside the list’s Top 10, including Serena Williams, Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.
Who is the most successful tennis player today?
Roger Federer has won as many as eight titles at Wimbledon, a record. His performance has seen him rocket to the top of the tennis rankings charts frequently. Roger Federer has held on to the world No. 1 spot for 310 weeks in his career.
Who owns the most tennis titles?
Billie Jean King has 78 titles in the Open era making him the tennis player with the most titles. He is followed by Serena Williams with 73, and Lindsay Davenport with 55.
How are tennis players paid?
Professional tennis players generally get paid through 6 different income sources: tournament prize money, tournament appearance fees, endorsement deals and sponsorships, exhibition fees, bonuses, and club tennis deals.