Rafael Nadal made way more money in 2024 than year before after instigating career change
Rafael Nadal is using his immense profile to top up his earnings as he nears the end of his glittering tennis career.
Rafael Nadal has impressively increased his earnings this year - despite being on the brink of retirement. The tennis great, 38, didn't compete at the current US Open and his upcoming appearance in the Laver Cup could potentially bring the curtain down on his illustrious career.
Given age, injury and the emergence of likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Spaniard hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the 2022 French Open, his record-extending 14th title at Roland-Garros. However, while his success and appearances in general have decreased, Nadal is still raking in the cash thanks to numerous lucrative commercial deals.
One has seen him invest in Playtomic, an app that manages padel and tennis matches. In another partnership – a controversial one in the eyes of some – he has become an ambassador of Saudi Arabia’s tennis federation, netting him a seven-figure sum. A tennis academy in his name in the Middle East country has also been mooted, reports Legal Sport.
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Nadal also has tie-ups with brands like Louis Vuitton, on top of long-time associations with Nike and car manufacturer Kia. As a result, thanks to his growing portfolio, his earnings have actually increased this year compared to 2023.
That’s according to American business magazine Forbes, who report Nadal has generated €23.3million euros (just under £20m) in the 12 months since the US Open last year. Although less than he earned in 2020, 2021 and 2022, that represents a 50% increase in his earnings in the year leading up to the 2023 US Open when he banked around €14m (£11.8m).
The latest figure places him sixth on the list of highest-earning tennis stars, now led by Alcaraz, who banked €40m (£34m), taking him above Novak Djokovic. Given his standing in the sport, Nadal’s earning power is unlikely to diminish even when he finally hangs up his racket for the last time, which could be in a matter of weeks.
He's signed up for this month’s Laver Cup in Berlin and, two years after Roger Federer bade farewell at the Ryder Cup-style event, there is a possibility his great rival may follow suit. However, in a recent interview in Spain, he hinted he could make one final appearance at the French Open in 2025.
Nadal wanted to add another Olympic gold medal to his glittering CV, only for him and Alcaraz to lose in the doubles quarter-finals at Paris 2024. In the wake of that defeat to the US duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said: “At this stage of my career, I play for feelings, I play for emotions more than for results.
“I won enough in my career, much more than what I ever dreamed. For me, it’s about enjoying different experiences, and that’s another lifetime experience, to share with Carlos, an amazing player who I think is going to be of course one of the best of the history of this sport.”
