Rafael Nadal: The Second-Highest-paid Tennis Player In The History Of The Sports

Rafael Nadal, who has earned $134 million in career prize money, will retire as the second-highest paid tennis player.

This week, Rafael Nadal will represent his country in the 2024 Davis Cup, the last tennis competition of his remarkable career.

The 38-year-old Spaniard is one of the most successful players in the history of the sport, having won 22 Grand Slam titles, second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24. In addition, he is among the highest paid tennis players.

Since 2001, when he made his professional tennis debut at the age of 14, Rafael Nadal has racked up many laurels. His career prize money sits at $134,946,100, according to ATP Tour data.

With those earnings, he surpasses rival Roger Federer’s $130.5 million to become the second-highest paid tennis player in history. The only player with more career earnings than Nadal is Djokovic, with $185 million.

According to Forbes, the 14-time French Open champion has earned an estimated $415 million over the previous 23 years from endorsements, appearances, and other business ventures.

Companies like Nike, Kia, and Richard Mille are among his many brand partners.

Djokovic Praises The Greatest Player Of All Time, Rafael Nadal

In the meantime, No. 4 Andy Murray announced his retirement this summer, and Roger Federer retired in 2022.

The ATP world No. 2 has his work cut out for him, but Alexander Zverev is the next closest to overtaking Nadal. To surpass Nadal, the 27-year-old will need to earn slightly less than $90 million in prize money.

A fellow Carlos Alcaraz, a Spaniard, may have the best chance of catching the player he admired as a child. Alcaraz is only 21 years old, but his $36 million prize money already places him among the top 10 highest earners of all time.