How much money did Rafael Nadal make throughout his tennis career?

Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players in history, played his last professional match last Tuesday (19), during Spain’s match against the Netherlands for the Davis Cup. The end of his career comes 19 years after his first Grand Slam title and 25 years after signing his first significant sponsorship with Nike.

The player, who became famous for his performance on clay, even against opponents of the stature of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, is numerically the second greatest of all time, both in terms of Grand Slams and prize money. Djokovic surpasses him with his 22 titles in the most important tennis events and the US$ 134.9 million received in prizes throughout his career, a mark that is the second largest in the ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals.

Still, it wasn’t just with prizes that the “left-hander from Mallorca” fattened his bank account over the years. The athlete earned around US$415 million in sponsorships, event appearances and other business deals, totaling US$550 million, according to Forbes. However, the title for highest grossing money of all time goes to Roger Federer, who earned US$1.1 billion throughout his career. Djokovic, who is still active at 37 years old, is approaching Nadal’s numbers.

Even away from the court, the Spanish tennis player continues to earn a lot, according to industry experts, and raised around US$23 million last year. Nadal maintains loyal and robust sponsors, which is atypical in the sport, where athletes tend to change partners frequently.

Among the lasting partnerships that the Spaniard maintains, in addition to Nike, is the almost 20-year professional relationship with the car manufacturer Kia and the racket manufacturer Babolat. The brand has long since become known as “Nadal’s racket”, as the Spaniard has been using it since he was nine years old. The official contract was signed in 2001, as their first international contract.

In fashion, the main partners are Richard Mille, from luxury watches, and Louis Vuitton. The tennis player also advertises for Infosys, Subway and Telefónica in Spain. In his home country, Nadal is compared to the greatness of stars like Ronaldo in Brazil or LeBron James in the United States, for example.

Nadal’s rivalry with Federer went beyond the courts and made the Spaniard more attractive for advertising. “Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me – a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in a way that no one else could,” said Federer about Nadal, who has the advantage in the rivalry with 24 wins against 16 in head-to-head matches, in a tribute text for his retirement.

“Roger was more the classic, elegant star, and Rafa was more the tough rival with long Mediterranean hair, and I think they complemented each other really well,” says Stuart Duguid, co-founder of talent agency Evolve, which represents current stars like Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, at Forbes. “I don’t think you would have one’s career without the other’s, in a lot of ways.”

For Nadal’s finances, it would be interesting to continue following his rival and friend Federer. The Swiss continues to do well in business and earns around US$95 million annually, maintaining the partnerships he achieved while he was still playing. If, on the one hand, exposure and appeal may decrease after retirement, on the other, the free schedule also offers more opportunities for revenue.

With a new generation already featuring talents such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal must maintain his appeal to remain in the spotlight. Another challenge is to stay away from branding mistakes, as he would have done when becoming an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation. The Spaniard has been criticized for participating in what fans consider a “sportswashing” campaign, an attempt to divert attention from human rights abuses by encouraging sport in the Middle East.

In addition to the courts, the business side already brings good compensation for the athlete. For years, Nadal has owned tennis academies, in which even Federer’s children have trained.

Among its businesses is a startup that helps amateur tennis players book court times and is reportedly developing luxury residential properties on Spain’s Costa del Sol. The player also owns an electric boat racing team in the E1 series and Tatel restaurants, alongside Pau Gasol and Cristiano Ronaldo, and last year partnered with Meliá Hotels to create a resort brand called Zel.