Nigerian-British, Anthony Joshua has been listed in the top 20 of the Forbes’ latest list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world. Joshua is placed 19th on the list with earnings worth $47m.
Roger Federer for the first time occupies the top spot, with $106m of pre-tax earnings, edging past Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have been toppling each other for the Number 1 spot in three of the past four years.
The two football stars earned a combined $209m during the past 1 year, a $28m drop from 2019, due to salary cut at many European football clubs when leagues were put to a halt in March.
The 100 highest-paid athletes earned a combined $3.6bn this year, which is 9% below 2019 and the first decline since 2016, when boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao skewed the results with a $400m payout from their May 2015 “Fight of the Century” pay-per-view bout.
Athletes from 21 countries and 10 sports make the final cut this year, with two women, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams – the first time more than one woman has made the ranks since 2016, when Williams appeared with Maria Sharapova.
Osaka, who earned $3.4m in tournament pay, is another dream endorser, collecting $34m from brands including Nike, Nissan Motor and Procter & Gamble. No female athlete from any other sport besides tennis has ever made this elite rank.
