Roger Federer only won one Grand Slam event in the Mlney Open in Januarybut he’ll still look back on this summer as Federer also has smaller deals with Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, Credit Suisse, Lindt chocolates and Barilla pasta, among others, making him the world’s highest-paid athlete in off-the-field sponsorship earnings. Here are the top 10 athletes by endorsement income for Source: Forbes. Forbes recently ranked the 20 highest-paid athletes of all time, with their estimates covering salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing, as well as fees from books and appearances through the end of May Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’s list of the highest paid athletes. No women made Forbes’ annual list of the highest paid athletes. SI All-American. Custom Rankings. Fantasy Assistant. Trade Analyzer. Player News. World Rankings. Extra Mustard. SI Kids.