The Swiss maestro jumped four spots to sit top of the pile, earning $106.3million in the past year, as he becomes the first tennis player to lead the way.
That eye-watering figure puts the 20-time grand slam winner ahead of football stars Ronaldo ($105m), Messi ($104m) and Neymar ($95.5m). NBA icon LeBron James rounds out the top five, raking in $88.2m in a period when some sportspeople took wage cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Endorsements account for most of Federer’s income, but he also undertook a tour of North and South America late last year to further boost his earnings.
Federer’s rise to the summit comes after fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka was announced as the highest paid female athlete, her $37.4m putting the Japanese 29th overall.
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