Rafael Nadal was sombre as he announced his decision to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon.
The iconic Spaniard will no longer get the chance to claim a 23rd Grand Slam title of his career, extending the record he already holds after a promising first half of 2022. Nadal, 36, had already returned from injury to take the Australian Open in dramatic fashion, and then, more predictably, bagged a 14th French Open title at Roland Garros.
Even more gutting is that victory at SW19 would have kept him on track for a first ever calendar Slam, something not achieved in the men's game since Rod Laver's perfect year in 1969. But regardless, the 'King of Clay' will eventually retire following one of the most lucrative careers in the history of tennis.
Net worth
His latest big triumphs in Melbourne and Paris have undoubtedly boosted the net worth of the Mallorca man. It currently stands at a staggering £178.8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
But whilst he leads the list of Grand Slam wins, that monetary figure is only enough for fifth place on the all-time list, well behind old rival Roger Federer (£459 million). Serena Williams (£208 million) and Djokovic, who is craving his 21st Slam at Wimbledon, is also slightly ahead.
But all four of those icons trail in the wake of Ion Tiriac, despite the irony of the Romanian player enjoying moderate success in his tennis career. However, his involvement in ice hockey, and other investments, have taken his net worth to over £1 billion - more than four times that of Nadal's.
Career earnings
Over the course of his 21-year professional career, Nadal has pocketed £104 million his 92 title wins alone, as well as numerous more in general tournament earnings. And that figure will be boosted over the course of the next three days regardless of how things pan out for the star.
Had he lifted the trophy on Sunday, Nadal would have pocketed a further £2 million. Even a final defeat would have brought with it the consolation of just over £1 million.
Endorsements and tennis academy
Nadal has a long association with Kia Motors, with the car manufacturer having supported him financially since 2006. He has also benefitted from lucrative deals with Lanvin colognes, Emporio Armani, PokerStars, and to prove he also keeps thing close to home, Mallorca-based food company Quely.
Another source of income for the star comes from his own investment though, with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy built back in 2016, with the goal of offering quality tennis training programs to juniors and adults.
It cost £20 million to build, with Nadal handing over £1 million of his own money up front to help out. It's not cheap, with players paying up to £50,000 for year-long tuition, whilst week-long camps cost over a grand.
