Worldwide tennis sponsorship spending is expected to hit $739M in '14, according to IEG, and "no player secures a bigger piece of the pie" than Roger Federer, according to Kurt Badenhausen of FORBES. His "loaded endorsement portfolio includes 10 brands" like Nike, Wilson, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Gillette and Moet & Chandon. They collectively pay him more than $40M annually "to pitch their wares." The world’s 10 highest-paid tennis players made a combined $6M in prize money between June '12 and June '13, but the "big money is off the court" where this group banked nearly $200M from endorsements, exhibitions and appearance fees. The sport’s global nature "is clear looking at tennis’ best-paid stars, as they hail from 10 different countries." The top 10 "is split evenly between men and women." Rafael Nadal "ranks second" with earnings of $44.5M. Nadal's wins and top year-end ranking "kicked in bonuses from sponsors" in addition to the $14.5M in prize money he earned. Nadal’s "biggest endorsement partner is Nike where his earnings are heavily tied to his year-end rank." Other current sponsors include Babolat, Mapfre, Banc Sabadell, Richard Mille, Kia Motors, Mueller and Poker Stars.
Novak Djokovic earned $33.1M, including $12.1M in prize money, and ranks No. 3 among the best-paid. Maria Sharapova "leads a group of five women among the 10 best-paid." She earned $24.4M and ranks No. 4 overall. Sharapova "has been the highest-paid female athlete for a decade since she broke through and won Wimbledon at 17 years old in 2004." Sharapova "added a deal with Avon Products this spring" (FORBES, 8/25). For the full list, click here.
