Federer leads tennis pros in Forbes' latest highest-paid athletes list

There are five tennis players named among Forbes Magazine's annual list of highest-paid athletes, led by Roger Federer. The standings were topped by soccer player Lionel Messi, who earned $127 million.

Federer was in fifth place with earnings of $93.4 million, and still the highest-paid athlete off the court. A sharp rise in sponsorship income helped: $86 million compared to $65 million in 2018, most of it likely from the clothing deal he signed with Uniqlo that is a rumored $30 million annually.

The second-highest tennis player was top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who tied for No. 17 and earned $50.6 million, including $30 million off the court. According to Forbes, the Serbian's largest source of income is from clothing sponsor Lacoste, worth eight figures annually.

Kei Nishikori was next at No. 35 with $37.3 million—$33 million is off the court, making him the second-highest paid tennis player in sponsorship income. While all the other highest-paid players have each won at least 15 Grand Slam titles, Nishikori has yet to lift a major trophy. But his popularity in his home nation of Japan has secured him several lucrative deals.

Rafael Nadal was a couple of spots behind with $35 million in earnings and $26 million coming away from the court. Serena Williams, the only female athlete to appear, was No. 63 with $29.2 million, of which $25 million is generated by endorsements. Williams was also the top athlete in the recent Forbes ranking of the richest self-made women.

According to Forbes, no other tennis player had more than $25 million in earnings.