Meet Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes Of 2014

From footballers to basketballers, tennis stars to golf players, sports is a money maker for quite a number of people who have made to to the summit in their various fields.

World renowned financial evaluators, Forbes recently complied a list of the highest earning athletes for the past year.

Below are those who rank as the top 10 earners:

#10 Matt Ryan

Total Earnings: $43.8 million
Salary/winnings: $42 million
Endorsements: $1.8 million

Ryan signed a five-year, $103.75 million contract last year with the Falcons that included a $28 million signing bonus and a $12 million option bonus paid in March. The $20.75 million average annual value was the second highest in the NFL behind only Aaron Rodgers at the time of signing (Colin Kaepernick has since surpassed Ryan).

#9 Rafael Nadal

Total Earnings: $44.5 million
Salary/winnings: $14.5 million
Endorsements: $30 million

World No. 1 Nadal had a monster 2013 season where he won two Grand Slams (French Open, U.S. Open). The wins and top year-end ranking kicked in bonuses from sponsors in addition to the $14.5 million in prize money he earned between June and June. Nadal’s biggest endorsement partner is Nike where his earnings are heavily tied to his year-end rank.

#8 Phil Mickelson

Total Earnings: $53.2 million
Salary/winnings: $5.2 million
Endorsements: $48 million

Mickelson picked up valuable sponsor bonuses last year for winning the British Open for the first time. He earns more than $40 million annually from appearances and endorsement partners: Callaway, Barclay’s, KPMG, Exxon Mobil, Rolex and Amgen/Pfizer. Mickelson has racked up 42 PGA victories (ninth all-time), $74 million in career prize money (second all-time).

#7 Roger Federer

Total Earnings: $56.2 million
Salary/winnings: $4.2 million
Endorsements: $52 million

Federer holds the records for most singles Grand Slam wins (17) and career prize money ($81 million). His endorsement portfolio is filled with long-term deals with blue-chip companies like Nike, Rolex and Credit Suisse. His sponsors collectively pay him more than $40 million annually.

#6 Tiger Woods

Total Earnings: $61.2 million
Salary/winnings: $6.2 million
Endorsements: $55 million

Woods’ earnings took a hit when Electronic Arts announced in 2013 that it would end its relationship with Woods and his eponymous video game after 14 versions. The series generated nearly $800 million in sales, according to NPD Group. Nike renewed its deal with Woods in 2013. The company’s golf division registered sales of $791 million in Nike’s 2013 fiscal year.

#5 Kobe Bryant

Total Earnings: $61.5 million
Salary/winnings: $30.5 million
Endorsements: $31 million

Bryant’s $30.5 million salary is nearly $8 million higher than any other player. He inked a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension in November that will keep his on-court salary tops in the NBA. His deals with the likes of Turkish Air, Lenovo, Hublot, Nike and Panini for merchandise are worth $30 million annually.

#4 Lionel Messi

Total Earnings: $64.7 million
Salary/winnings: $41.7 million
Endorsements: $23 million

Sponsors like Adidas, who launched his signature shoe last year, and Turkish Airlines, who paired him with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, have invested heavily in Barcelona’s most prolific goal scorer. In May, he signed his 7th contract in 11 years that will pay him more than $50 million a year before taxes and extend his stay at Camp Nou until 2018.

#3 LeBron James

Total Earnings: $72.3 million
Salary/winnings: $19.3 million
Endorsements: $53 million

James is the NBA’s biggest endorsement star, thanks to deals with Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck and others. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were tops among active players at $300 million in the U.S. during 2013. James also made millions through his small stake in Beats when it was sold to Apple for $3 billion.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Total Earnings: $80 million
Salary/winnings: $52 million
Endorsements: $28 million

The Portugal and Real Madrid star was voted the sport’s most valuable player in the world in 2013, the second time in his career, after scoring 69 goals in 59 club and country competitions. Real Madrid rewarded him with a record 5-year contract worth $206 million.

#1 Floyd Mayweather

Total Earnings: $105 million
Salary/winnings: $105 million
Endorsements: $0

Mayweather is the first athlete besides Tiger Woods to earn $100 million in Forbes’ annual tally of the highest-paid athletes. His September 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez set records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate ($20 million) and total revenue (roughly $200 million). The Canelo fight marked the second bout in the blockbuster 30-month, six fight deal he signed with Showtime in 2013.