Tennis With Spectators Returns To The US, Osaka Says No To The Press

Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati expects to have spectators at full capacity. Tennis is returning to normality. (Wsopen.com)

US Open is the latest tournament to get rid of line judges and go with electronic line calling. Some are concerned that tennis is being turned into an esport. Where will the next generation of chair umpires come from since line judges can’t be promoted? (Yahoo Sports)

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal may break Roger Federer’s records. But the Federer brand is a money-making juggernaut. Federer made $84 million in the last 12 months despite playing almost no tennis. Djokovic earned $33 million. Naomi Osaka made $55 million, $22 million than Djokovic. Ouch. (TFS)

Naomi Osaka will skip post-match press conferences at Roland Garros. Osaka cited mental health as the reason for her decision. (USA Today)

The new men’s tennis association floated by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil struggles to get traction (New York Times)

GQ talks to Roger Federer about tennis, retirement, and becoming the tourism ambassador for Switzerland (GQ)

Carla Suarez Navarro beats cancer. She will play Roland Garros for the last time. (BBC)

Continue ReadingTennis With Spectators Returns To The US, Osaka Says No To The Press

Highest-Paid Tennis Players – Federer Tops The Chart With $85 Million, Naomi Osaka Makes $22 Million More Than Novak Djokovic

Naomi Osaka spent the last year signing up one sponsorship deal after another. The results are now in. According to Sportico, she made $55 million last year, making her the highest-earning female athlete in the world.  Of the $55 million, $50 million came from endorsement and $5 million from her tournament prize money.

2021 Highest-Paid Tennis Players

There are six tennis players on the Top-100 money list.

Roger Federer – $84 million
Naomi Osaka – $55 million
Serena Williams – $36 million
Novak Djokovic – $33 million
Kei Nishikori – $27 million
Rafael Nadal – $27 million

Roger Federer  – Highest Earning Tennis Athlete

Roger Federer was the highest-earning tennis player. He earned $84 million last year with all his money coming from sponsorship earnings. Federer didn’t play much last year due to surgeries and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interestingly, Naomi Osaka made $22 million more than Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has always had difficulties attracting sponsors whereas Osaka checks all the boxes for sponsors.

Naomi Osaka – Global Marketer’s Dream Athlete

Osaka is black, raised in the United States, and has Japanese nationality. That makes her marketable globally. Osaka gave up her US citizenship to represent Japan. That was a shrewd move that paid off as she has a number of Japanese sponsors as well as global sponsors.

Kei Nishikori – Punching Above His Weight Class

Other tennis players in the Top 100 Highest-Paid athletes list are Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori. Both earned $27 million. Like Osaka, Nishikori’s Japanese nationality helps him earn lucrative sponsorship deals even though he has never won a grand slam.

Continue ReadingHighest-Paid Tennis Players – Federer Tops The Chart With $85 Million, Naomi Osaka Makes $22 Million More Than Novak Djokovic