Ageless Roger Federer tops Forbes rich list for ninth straight year

New Delhi: Swiss maestro Roger Federer has been named as the top-earning tennis player of the ninth straight year, according to business magazine Forbes. The 17-time Grand Slam champion has a combined worth of USD 67 million in prize money, endorsement deals and appearances between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015.

The 34-year-old world number two, who lost the year's final Slam at New York to top-ranked Novak Djokovic, is showing no signs of slowing down, and is quickly approaching that USD 100 million mark in career prize money.

Federer, who has 24 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles also, is the world’s fifth richest athlete on a list headed by Floyd Mayweather. The American boxer, who recently retired undefeated, has an astonishing USD 300 million. His great rival, Manny Pacquiao is second on the list with USD 160 m.

Football's two brightest stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are third and fourth at USD 79.9 m and USD 73.8 m respectively, ahead of Federer. They are followed by basketballs superstars LeBron James (USD 64.8 m), Kevin Durant (USD 54.2 m) at sixth and seventh spot.

Golfer Phil Mickelson (USD 50.8 m) beats long standing leader Tiger Woods by USD 0.2 m to occupy the eight spot. Basketball player Kobe Bryant completed the top-10 with USD 49.5 m, in the list compiled by Forbes.

In tennis ranking, world number one Djokovic has USD 48.2 m (overall ranked 13th) ahead of 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal (USD 32.5 m, overall ranked 22nd ) for top three earners. And together with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have been the world’s three highest-paid tennis players for the second consecutive year with combined earnings of USD 148 m.

Earlier this year, Federer was also adjudged the world’s most marketable sports star by the London School of Marketing.