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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand in his second round match against Daniel Evans of Great Britain during day three of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Forbes Names Highest-Paid Athlete In 2020

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It’s been a rough year for sports fans – but not necessarily for the certain athletes. Despite most major sports leagues either cancelled or postponed at the moment, several international superstars cashed in on a major payday over the past year.

Forbes released its “Highest-Paid Athletes in 2020” list on Friday. The ranking measures the money athletes made from June 1st, 2019 to June 1st, 2020. A Swiss professional tennis player tops Forbes’ list.

Roger Federer made a whopping $106.5 million over the past year. There’s no doubt the tennis superstar has made considerable money from his on-court production. But the majority of his money comes from off-court endorsements.

A few other international superstars fall next on the list, including Cristiano Ronaldo ($105M), Lionel Messi ($104M) and Neymar ($95.5M). A couple of NBA superstars check in at No. 5, 6 and 7, including LeBron James ($88.2M), Steph Curry ($74.4M) and Kevin Durant ($63.9M). Forbes’ full top-10 ranking of 2020’s highest-paid athletes can be found below:

There’s no surprises through the top eight of the ranking. But the athletes listed at No. 9 and 10 are major surprises.

Many argue Vikings QB Kirk Cousins hasn’t done nearly enough to warrant the money he’s currently making. But he certainly isn’t complaining about his major payday this past year. Eagles QB Carson Wentz is another surprising inclusion. Wentz has loads of potential, but injury history remains a major concern.

Looking ahead, players like Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could eventually make Forbes’ exclusive list.