Novak Djokovic and Rory McIlroy are two of the most distinguished personalities in their respective sports. While Djokovic has won the most number of single Grand Slam titles in tennis history (24), McIlroy has lifted 4 major championship trophies in golf. With respect to their competition within the tennis and the golf communities, Djokovic and McIlroy are among the frontrunners when it comes to amassing huge amounts of money from their respective professions.
Novak Djokovic has been a pro on the ATP Tour for 21 years now. Across his illustrious career, the Serb has gathered a staggering $181.9 million in career earnings. Additionally, by having endorsement deals with some high-profile brands – Lacoste, Head, Asics, Mercedes-Benz, and Hublot, among others – the World No.1 tennis player has amassed an estimated net worth of above $240 million.
The 36-year-old also owns several multi-million dollar properties in cities such as Monte Carlo, Miami, New York City, Belgrade, and Marbella, apart from his hometown in Serbia.
Rory McIlroy also became a professional around the same time as Novak Djokovic. Over the past two decades, the Northern Ireland golfer has collected more than $125 million through official tournaments, unofficial tournaments, and the Player Index Program. With the virtue of having endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, Omega, Optum, and other brands, McIlroy also has an impressive, reported net worth of $170 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
As seen from the figures above, Djokovic is significantly richer, having a better net worth and almost $60 million more of career earnings.
Novak Djokovic and Rory McIlroy have been great friends for almost a decade
Rory McIlroy was associated with the tennis community significantly once when he got engaged to WTA star Caroline Wozniacki. However, he backed out of it. However, Novak Djokovic has been one of Rory’s closest friends from tennis. Additionally, the World No.1 tennis player has admitted to following the golfer’s performances in tournaments closely. Speaking to the Associated Press, Djokovic spoke about his friendship with McIlroy:
“I’ve been friends with Rory McIlroy for more than 10 years, since when he was engaged to the tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. So I follow him and actually I follow everyone.”
More recently, Djokovic even joked with his friend via Instagram. Blowing off steam after a tough loss at the Monte Carlo Masters 2024, Djokovic was on the golf course. During his appearance on the course, the Australian Open 2024 semi-finalist hilariously issued a warning to McIlroy.
It is great to see athletes from different sports indulge in playful banter and share admiration for each other.
