TENNIS – The retirement of tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams has presented unique challenges for event organizers, but it’s an opportunity to spotlight emerging talent, according to the United Cup’s tournament director.

The highly-anticipated $10 million mixed team event gets underway this Friday, with tournament chief Stephen Farrow expressing optimism that the future of the sport looks bright.

“From a promotional perspective, having icons like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal certainly draws attention to events,” Farrow noted in an interview with Reuters following the recent draw for the 18-team tournament held in Sydney. “These athletes are phenomenal superstars, and with their departure, we face a tougher task in sharing the narratives of the new players stepping onto the court.”

Farrow, however, remains optimistic, remarking, “This presents a chance for all of us involved in tennis to shine a light on these promising talents. Our line-up for the United Cup is thrilling, and I am confident about the sport’s trajectory.”

Tennis has been one of the most lucrative sports globally, with elite players earning millions through prize money, endorsements, and business ventures. From legendary athletes like Roger Federer to modern icons like Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, this list ranks the top 25 highest-paid tennis players of all time based on total career earnings.

This article references multiple reliable sources to provide accurate and updated information about earnings and career details of the players. The information is current as of December 2024. Sources include:

There’s no denying Roger Federer’s status as one of the greatest tennis players in history. With an astounding 111 career titles, including 20 Grand Slams, Federer has often been labeled as the pinnacle of tennis excellence by fans and experts alike. Yet, when asked to name the best player in tennis history, Federer humbly stepped aside from the debate, refraining from including himself in the conversation.

Federer, who retired in 2022 after 24 years of professional tennis, shared his views on the ongoing debate over tennis’ “GOAT” status. While names like Novak Djokovicand Rafael Nadal frequently surface alongside Federer’s in this discussion, the Swiss legend leaned toward Djokovic as the frontrunner in a mid-2023 interview with Tages-Anzeiger.

“I don’t know. What’s better: winning Wimbledon at 17 like [Boris] Becker or Paris at 36 like Novak? I don’t know. What he has achieved is absolutely gigantic. It could be enough,” Federer said, referencing Djokovic’s historic accomplishments.

Roger Federer recently wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Thailand, while his clothing sponsor, Uniqlo, simultaneously lifted the lid on some of his favorite stops in Shanghai.

Federer’s tour through Thailand started as early as Feb. 23, as he chronicled a boat ride at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi and enjoying a plate of traditional Khao Niao Mamuang, sticky rice and mango. Two days later, he posted a clip of him riding a tuk-tuk, Bangkok’s famous three-wheeled taxis.

That’s a wrap!” Federer signed off over the weekend, adding more snapshots to his social media gallery from the trip, the first of which featured his wife, Mirka, posing with him on the beach in what’s a rare public appearance.

“Did you get her permission to put her on instagram?” Sara Foster, wife of former world No. 2 and Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas, joked in the comments.

In the latest collage, Federer showcased candid snaps from an elephant habitat, and took photos of the famed Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok.

Eight years ago, Martina Navratilova summed up the problem with the one-handed backhand in today’s game: “It practically takes a genius to hit [one],” she said.

The great Czech-American champion used a single-hander herself to win 18 Grand Slam singles titles from 1978 to 1990. But by the time she spoke those words, in 2016, the stroke had been declining—in use, though not in popularity—for nearly half a century. Last week, that downhill slide reached another milestone when Stefanos Tsitsipas dropped out of the ATP’s Top 10 and left it with no one-handed backhands for the first time since the start of computer rankings in 1973. The state of the stroke is even more dire on the women’s side, where 47th-ranked, 36-year-old Tatjana Maria has the only one-hander among the Top 60.

Navratilova was right: As the sport evolved, and players spent more time slugging from the baseline, it became increasingly difficult to survive the ground-stoke onslaught with just one hand.