World no 1 Djokovic is not in the top 50 highest-paid athletes despite winning 3 Grand Slams
Forbes, a renowned American magazine, recently published their 2024 edition of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world. Surprisingly, no tennis players were included in the top 50 this year.
Usually, the magazine features tennis greats such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. However, this time, none of them made it to the list, much to the dismay of tennis fans. Instead, the list was dominated by NBA and football players, with even some golf stars making it into the top 50.
The list is indeed surprising, especially considering that Novak Djokovic won three Grand Slam titles last year. Additionally, he triumphed at the ATP Finals and finished the year as World No. 1. Despite his rocky start to 2024, it is notable that no tennis players made it to the list.
The absence of tennis players from the Forbes Top 50 was primarily due to the increased cutoff for entry, which rose to 45.2 million dollars—a 20% increase from 2022’s record. Novak Djokovic earned 38.4 million dollars last year, while Carlos Alcaraz was even lower at 31.4 million dollars, both falling short of the new threshold.
Last year, Swiss professional Roger Federer made it into the top 50, but this year marked a step down for tennis, as no player managed to cross the threshold to be included in the list.
No WTA tennis player made it to the Top 50 of the highest-paid athletes for the year
Tennis is typically recognized as a lucrative sport due to its high-paying tournament victories. However, it has been some time since female tennis players have appeared in the Forbes Top 50 highest-paid athletes list.
As long as Serena Williams was active, she frequently made the list, along with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. Their presence highlighted the earning potential for women in tennis.
This time, no women made it onto the list, likely due to the rising popularity of men’s sports like the NBA and the NFL. This shift has impacted the earnings rankings, sidelining prominent female athletes.
In tennis, Iga Swiatek is currently the highest-paid woman, but her earnings were not sufficient to secure a spot in the top 50. This marks an unfortunate record for the sport, as players will undoubtedly hope to reclaim their positions on the list in the future.
