What a summer it’s been for tennis, after seeing the emotional moments of Andy Murray playing his final competitive matches at the Olympic Games and Wimbledon.
And the season is far from over with Novak Djokovic setting out to defend his US Open title from last year and Carlos Alcaraz hoping to improve on last year’s performance, which saw him defeated in the semi-finals. The highest-seeded UK player for this tournament is Jack Draper, but when it comes to net worths, the star is outmatched by some of the sport’s most iconic legends.
See where the big names in tennis, past, and present, rank on the top ten rich list below.
Ion Tiriac – $2.2 billion (£1.6 billion)
The richest player in tennis history is Ion Tiriac, who initially was an ice hockey player, making an appearance at the 1964 Winter Olympic Games. Ion played professional tennis for Romania between 1968 and 1979 during which he gained a major title – the French Open in 1970.
He may not have as many Grand Slams to his name, but Ion has amassed his huge fortune from his entrepreneur career, founding what would become UniCredit Bank Romania in 1991. Forbes lists Ion as the third-richest person in all of Romania.
Roger Federer – $550 million (£429 million)
Roger Federer may no longer be in the sport, but he’s still reaping the rewards from his impressive career, which saw him win 20 Grand Slam titles, and seen him amass the third-highest amount of prize money in the sport, only behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Alongside his prize money, Roger has also earned money from endorsements and his real estate portfolio.
Serena Williams – $340 million (£257 million)
They don’t call her the GOAT for nothing. Widely thought of as one of the greatest sports players of her generation, Serena Williams has enjoyed huge success from her talents on the court. So when she retired from the game in 2022, all of a sudden tennis felt that little bit smaller. The athlete has gained her wealth thanks to her many grand slam wins, as well as sports campaigns with brands like Nike and her own range of sports apparel.
Novak Djokovic – $240 million (£1.8 million)
Novak Djokovic will be hoping to retain his US Open title, which will certainly add a little more to his prize fund. Novak has been used to winning plenty of prize money, and he currently ranks as no. 1 on the all-time winnings table. The Serbian has also won plenty of money through brand endorsements.
Rafael Nadal – $220 million (£173 million)
Rafael Nadal is adored among tennis fans. His professionalism, eye-watering forehand and love for the sport sets him apart from the rest. The Spanish star is also known as the King of Clay thanks to his seriously impressive success at tournaments such as Roland Garros and so has amassed quite the fortune.
Maria Sharapova – $220 million (£173 million)
Russian former No.1 player Maria Sharapova is synonymous with tennis. The star, who retired in February 2020, is considered one of the greatest of her generation and has won 36 titles in total, five of those being major titles including the French, US, and Australian Opens and Wimbledon. In 2012, the tennis star also launched her own sweets company, Sugarpova.
Pete Sampras – $150 million (£113 million)
Pete hasn’t played in a competitive match for years, but at the time of his retirement he was ranked number-one in the world. Sampras bagged 14 Grand Slam titles and 64 tournament titles in total.
Andre Agassi – $145 million (£109 million)
Andre Agassi’s first major win was at Wimbledon back in 1992 when he beat Goran Ivanišević in a nail-biting final. He continued to enjoy success throughout the nineties including in 1994 when he became only the third non-seed to win the US championship.
Steffi Graf – $145 million (£109 million)
Andre’s wife, Steffi, also makes an appearance on the list, with her net worth matching her sporting husband. Steffi made plenty of history during her career, winning the third most Grand Slam titles and being ranked as the world’s number-one for 377 consecutive weeks.
Andy Murray – $100 million (£75 million)
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