How Federer turned $10M into $600M by walking away from Nike

There’s a sense of inevitability that Novak Djokovic will soon become men’s tennis greatest Slam champion, but off the court there is an undisputed champion: Roger Federer.

The big three — Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal — are locked on 20 Grand Slam victories, with the former missing a chance to move clear at the recent US Open, while also blowing the rare Grand Slam in his defeat to Daniil Medvedev.

Yet not even Djokovic can match Federer’s marketability.

The Swiss Prince has left his modern day greats languishing well behind when it comes to endorsements.
Federer is one of only six athletes to cross $1 billion in career earnings while still active.

But it was his decision to walk away from Nike which proved a cash windfall for the recently turned 40-year-old, who is set to drop outside the top 10 on the ATP rankings for the first time since 2017.

As Joe Pompliano detailed at the end of September, it was a masterstroke to enter a 10-year deal with Japanese brand Uniqlo and one that would see him continued to rake in the money even if he retired from the game.

Federer is reportedly eyeing one more year on the ATP circuit after an injury-plagued season in 2020.