Comparing Novak Djokovic's career earnings with Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Lionel Messi & other top-earning athletes of all time

Novak Djokovic made headlines this year for breaking the record of the most weeks spent as the World No.1 in addition to being the oldest tennis player to hold the said title. These accolades are also accompanied by the fact that the Serb holds the record for the maximum number of Grand Slams won by a male player (24), and the highest number of Australian Open titles (10).

Just like any other sport, there is a degree of prosperity, prestige, and power that accompanies the success of any good sportsman, especially one of Djokovic's stature. Naturally, the number of career titles held by Djokovic has also helped him win more in prize money than any other tennis player, which along with endorsements and other things, sums up to over $181 million and translates to an estimated net worth of around $250 million (Source: Celebrity Net Worth).

Considering Djokovic's growth and struggles coming from a war-torn country as a young kid aspiring to be a tennis champion to being the World No.1, his achievements are definitely beyond remarkable. However, while he stays ahead of other tennis legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in terms of career earnings, if we extend the discussion to other sports, Djokovic is well behind the titans of other major sports.

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Career earnings of other noteworthy sporting titans

Djokovic's career earnings place him well ahead of other tennis players but when it comes to the category of sports in general, footballers, basketball players and golfers stay ahead of tennis.

If one talks about football, relatively younger players like Kylian Mbappe have an estimated net worth of over $150 million with the number likely to go up as the Frenchman continues to play and grow over the next few years. Seasoned footballer Lionel Messi holds an estimated net worth of over $650 million in 2024 (Source: Celebrity Net Worth).

Similarly, LeBron James has the highest net worth amongst the NBA professionals with an estimated $700 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Lastly, golfer Tiger Woods is not only the highest earner on the PGA Tour but is also one of the richest athletes with an estimated net worth of $800 million (Source: Celebrity Net Worth). Additionally, as per a report released by Sportico earlier this year, Woods stands second in the list of the highest-paid athletes at $2.66 billion.

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Comparing Djokovic and other sporting titans

Even though Djokovic enjoys the status of the top-earning tennis player, his career earnings fall behind those of other sporting giants. However, while it might be considered that apart from the number of wins and trophies, the financial success of a player also mirrors his prowess and success, this comparative analysis does not transcend the sport that each of the top-earning players represents.

This is perhaps largely due to the fact that while each of the sportspersons succeeds in faring well in their career, the business model and the earnings associated with each sport largely differ in terms of numbers.

Novak Djokovic after winning his 24th Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open

Talking about the financial aspect accompanying tennis, Djokovic once said (via Sports Rush):

"It’s all public information of course. People can see how much we are earning. What the media is not writing about is also the taxes and also all the other expenses, but that’s fine. But I cannot sit here and talk about money as an issue in my life or anything like that. I have been very blessed and lucky, and it comes as a consequence of my tennis and the success I’ve had along with my family and my team. I think that every Euro I’ve earned is through heart, sweat, and tears. So, I don’t take anything for granted.”

Athletes like Woods, Messi, Ronaldo and James have all reached the pinnacle of success in their respective careers and are given due credit for the same. Additionally, when it comes to the overarching theme of sports and the business of sports, the salary and prize money with regard to each tournament is accompanied by a range of endorsements, be it Messi's deal with Adidas or Djokovic's association with Lacoste.

Therefore, while Djokovic holds the highest career earnings within the realm of tennis, the net worth and earnings of the Serb and by extension tennis fall well behind that of other sports and the associated legends.