Forbes Drops Its Highest Paid Athletes List — Here’s Who Made The Cut

Just as Forbes goes viral for blasting Kylie Jenner, their Highest Paid Athletes list is making headlines too.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were no. 1 and no. 2 last year, respectively, came in no. 3 and no. 2 this year, with Messi losing the top spot to Swiss professional tennis player Roger Federer and Ronaldo maintaining his position. Fan favorites LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant all make the Top 10, with Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Deontay Wilder piercing the Top 20.

Troublingly, only two women make the Top 100  — Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.

“Athletes from 21 countries and 10 sports make the final cut this year, as do two women — Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams – the first time more than one woman has made the ranks since 2016, when Williams appeared with Maria Sharapova,” Forbes states, adding “Osaka, who earned $3.4 million in tournament pay, is another dream endorser, collecting $34 million from brands including Nike, Nissan Motor and Procter & Gamble. No female athlete from any other sport besides tennis has ever made this elite rank.”

Here’s Forbes official Top 10 list. Head over to the site for the full ranking.

1. Roger Federer – $106.3 million

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – $105 million

3. Lionel Messi – $104 million

4. Neymar – $95.5 million

5. LeBron James – $88.2 million

6. Stephen Curry – $74.4 million

7. Kevin Durant – $63.9 million

8. Tiger Woods – $62.3 million

9. Kirk Cousins – $60.5 million

10. Carson Wentz – $59.1 million