Roger Federer named highest-paid athlete with $106M income

May 29 (UPI) -- Roger Federer became the first tennis player in the history to land the top spot in Forbes' annual rankings of the world's highest-paid athletes after he earned $106.3 million from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion earned about $100 million from endorsements and appearance fees from 13 partners. The Swiss tennis star made $6.3 million on the tennis court.

Federer, 38, jumped into the top spot as many other athletes had their salaries slashed due to season suspensions from the coronavirus pandemic. Rival soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are usually at the top of the list. Messi was No. 1 with $127 million in income in 2019. Ronaldo was No. 2 in 2019 with $109 million in income.

Federer ranked No. 5 on last year's list. Boxer Floyd Mayweather topped the list in 2018 with $285 million in income. Mayweather also topped the list in 2015 ($300M), 2014 ($105M) and 2012 ($85M).

Forbes included all prize money, bonuses, salaries and endorsements in compiling the list. Forbes also reduced NBA salary numbers by 25 percent, slashed soccer star salaries by 70 percent and gave veteran MLB players $286,500 for April and May, based on estimates and league agreements of salary reductions.

The 2020 list includes 35 basketball players, 31 football players, 14 soccer players, six soccer players, five boxers/mixed martial arts athletes, four golfers, three race car drivers, a baseball player and a cricket player.

Ronaldo, 35, ranks No. 2 with $105 million in earnings. The Juventus star made $60 million in salary/winnings and $45 million from endorsements. Messi, 32, ranks No. 3 with $104 million in income. He made $40 million more in salary/winnings than he did in endorsements.

Paris Saint Germain soccer star Neymar is No. 4, followed by LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Tiger Woods, Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz. James was the highest-paid NBA star at $88.2 million. Woods had a $62.3 million income. Cousins was the highest-paid NFL player with $58 million in salary from the Minnesota Vikings and $2.5 million in endorsements.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka is the highest-paid female athlete on the list. Osaka, 22, had an income of $37.4 million and was the youngest athlete in the top 35. Two women are on the list for the first time since 2016, with Serena Williams ranked No. 33.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw is the only MLB player on the list, due to the salary adjustments. Kershaw landed at No. 57 with an income of $27.3 million.