That Roger Federer looks up to Rod Laver is no secret, hailing him as one of the best players of all time. The Australian remains the only man to complete a Calendar Grand Slam in the Open Era, achieving the feat in 1969.
Laver’s career lasted for over two decades, the first six years of which were spent as an amateur. Debuting in 1956, he turned pro in 1963. By the time the Open Era began in 1968, Laver had already accumulated six Grand Slam titles. He won the first Open Era Wimbledon in 1968, receiving a paycheck of £2,000 ($2,621, as per CNBC). Even top tennis players were paid very poorly back then as most tournaments had meagre prize money on offer.
The women’s singles champion at the 1968 Wimbledon, Billie Jean King, earned only £750 ($1000 approximately). Doubles teams who exited before the quarter-finals made no money since cash rewards for doubles only began from the last eight.
Laver won 11 Grand Slam titles but retired in 1976 with prize money earnings of only $1,565,413 for singles and doubles combined. Even after adjusting for inflation today, it comes up to $8,467,783. Today, players can make more than $8 million in a single year if they have a good season. Despite playing in times like those, Rod Laver currently has a very formidable net worth. As per Celebrity Net Worth, the former World No.3 is worth approximately $20 million. Even most modern players do not have a net value that high.
It is believed that Laver’s wife, Mary Benson who was American, has a huge role in making him financially stable today. Unfortunately, Benson passed away in 2012 at the age of 84. But according to Otakukart, Benson was the one who pushed Laver into actively investing in stocks and bonds. She also motivated him to use his spare time in making public appearances and charging a good fee for those.
Laver then realised the value of getting sponsors on board as he endorsed multiple brands. Additionally, he also has spent time in developing two tennis academies of his own, one in Hilton Head in South Carolina and the other in Boca Raton, Florida and franchising them for additional income.
Besides these sources of income, the Australian player has 2 sprawling mansions in the United States, where he continues to reside. One property in California is by itself worth $6 million at present according to multiple media reports.
The centre court at Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open is held, is named the Rod Laver Arena in his honour. Roger Federer, too, paid tribute to his idol by naming his brainchild after him. He created the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-like team event for tennis.
Rod Laver shares records and a good bond with Roger Federer
Rod Laver and Roger Federer are two of the five players to have completed the Career Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andre Agassi are the other three. Also, Djokovic, Federer, and Laver are the only three players to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year. The Swiss and the Aussie share another record that no one else does, winning 10+ titles for three consecutive years.
Roger Federer played his final match at the 2022 Laver Cup, with the eponymous legend in attendance. After the match, Laver paid tribute to Federer on X (formerly Twitter). He said while retirement is inevitable, it hits harder when a great player is stepping down. He thanked the 20-time Grand Slam winner for being a ‘friend’. Laver has frequently called Federer the best tennis player of all time. The mutual respect between the two legends is evident.
