Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams have led glorious careers on the court. Last year, the two tennis legends took retirement from professional tennis and now the two are leading successful off-court lives. However, despite being inactive, these two were the highest-earning WTA and ATP players, respectively. But, what made both the ‘Swiss Maestro’ and the ‘Queen of the Court’ attractive prospects for sponsors and renowned brands over the other superstar names in tennis? Let’s find out.

Previously high-ranked players on the list, like Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu in WTA and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in ATP, do not find a mention in the list. Despite the huge $50 million gap between Federer’s and Williams’ earnings, the lack of other tennis players depicts a bizarre picture.

Serena Williams and Roger Federer leave their counterparts way behind in the wealth race

2022 was the last year that saw the two tennis legends on the professional tennis stage. Even during their final year on the professional circuit, Williams only participated in the grass-court and hard-court seasons before announcing her retirement at the US Open. Similarly, Roger Federer only played at the Laver Cup and retired after playing a doubles match with his friend and archrival, Rafael Nadal.

Despite being inactive, the two ended up earning much more than their WTA and ATP counterparts. According to Forbes, Serena Williams earned $45.3 million, out of which only $0.3 million was from her on-court earnings. Last year, Naomi Osaka topped the list with 51.1 million in earnings, surpassing even Serena Williams. However, this year, she is not even in the Top 50. Apart from her, Emma Raducanu, who has landed a lucrative sponsorship deal from Porsche, is also far behind Williams.

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Besides the WTA realm, Roger Federer, who just played onetime last year, had $95.1 million in earnings. Out of this, only $0.1 million was from his on-court earnings. Shifting the spotlight to his arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, they both have not been featured in the Top 50 list this year.

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So, the only two tennis players in the Top 50 are Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Despite Federer towering Williams’ income by more than double, other tennis players have not been able to fit in.

The concern behind Williams in Top 50

The point to be noted here is the fact that the Forbes List of Highest Paid Athletes has only one female athlete, which is Serena Williams. The lack of female players shows the gender-associated financial gap that still looms over the sporting realm.

It is even more concerning because young female players have even bleak chances. Williams’ significant chunk of earnings has come from her off-court endeavors, which can be a problem for budding female players.

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How do you feel about the lack of women’s representation in the top earners section of the sporting realm? Let us know your views in the comments below.