Roger Federer becomes seventh billionaire athlete — who else is in the exclusive club?

Roger Federer has officially joined the billionaire athletes’ club, becoming just the seventh in history, according to new estimates from Forbes.

The Swiss legend, who retired in 2022, now holds a net worth of $1.1 billion thanks in large part to his investment in Swiss shoe and apparel company On.

Over his career, Federer amassed an eye-watering fortune from sponsorships and business ventures, making him tennis’ highest-paid player for 16 straight years despite earning less prize money than rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

In 2020, he topped the global athlete earnings list with $106.3 million before tax.

He is the second tennis player to reach billionaire status after Ion Èširiac, the Romanian former French Open doubles champion turned investor.

The exclusive group also includes Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Junior Bridgeman, and Tiger Woods, who alongside James, achieved billionaire status while still competing.

Meanwhile, Forbes also named Carlos Alcaraz the highest-paid active tennis player for the second year in a row, with $48.3 million earned over the past year.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner followed closely with $47.3 million, nearly doubling his previous total, including $20.3 million from prize money, the third-highest single-year total in tennis history.

Coco Gauff ranked third with $37.2 million, making her the top-earning female athlete worldwide over the last 12 months.

It’s also the first time since 2010 that all top three earners Gauff, Alcaraz, and Sinner, are under 30.

In total, tennis’ top 10 highest-paid players brought in $285 million, up 16 per cent from last year, though still short of the $343 million record set in 2020.