Federer’s longtime friend and agent reveals the "secret" behind his billion-dollar fortune

Federer’s journey to success has always been astonishing. Beyond a tennis career spanning two decades and winning 20 Grand Slam titles, he amassed enormous wealth through his exceptional talents both on and off the court. Although he earned $131 million in prize money during his career, which proves his dominance in tennis, the true reason he became a billionaire is his unparalleled popularity. Three years after retiring, Federer’s longtime agent recently revealed the real secret behind this 44-year-old Swiss legend’s success both on and off the court.

In the latest episode of the podcast "Served," hosted by Roddick, Federer’s agent Tony Godsick discussed his experience working with the Swiss star and what it’s like collaborating with one of the “Big Three.” He also shared a key insight—this is one of the reasons Federer achieved tremendous success on and off the court.

Godsick said, “He is excellent at communication. I can always reach him anytime. Whenever we travel together, we have dinner every night. He wants to be involved in his business.”

Godsick revealed that “the secret to his success and the key to our collaboration” is “always staying in touch and maintaining communication.” He emphasized that Federer is always actively engaged in everything. His way of treating others is also a major factor in his success: “He wants to make sure he enjoys the tour—that’s one reason he lasted so long on the court. He wants to have a good time everywhere, staying in comfortable hotels, dining at fine restaurants. We did many fun things outside tennis, and he always included me.”

Godsick’s relationship with the Swiss tennis icon dates back to 2005. At that time, he worked at IMG agency and met Federer through a former client, WTA star Monica Seles (Federer was previously also an IMG player).

Godsick and Federer’s bond was so close that they even jointly conceived the idea of founding the Laver Cup. In 2017, during a car ride in Shanghai, the tennis legend and the CEO of TEAM8, Godsick’s company, first proposed creating this team event. Today, the tournament has become a landmark event in the tennis world.

The 2025 Laver Cup was held at the Chase Center in San Francisco, attracting nearly 82,000 spectators. Pre-event forecasts projected revenue of $50 million over three days, far exceeding previous years. After the 2025 Laver Cup, Godsick and Federer are planning new surprises. The Swiss king, with 20 Grand Slam titles, is set to return to the court in an exhibition match. Although this is no longer a secret, Godsick’s recent remarks have sparked even greater attention.

Before last month’s Laver Cup, TEAM8 CEO Godsick spoke to the media about Federer’s comeback. He said, “I’ve been ‘pressuring’ him, saying, ‘Please, everyone wants to see you play again, you could join some seniors’ events.’”

However, what followed shocked the entire tennis community. “We recently talked a bit with Rafa (Nadal) about organizing a touring exhibition together. Roger just wants to make sure his knee is okay; he doesn’t want to completely wreck his body after retirement, so he’s giving himself time to recover.”

Does this mean Nadal will join Federer in the exhibition? Godsick explained, “I think Rafa is interested, but I don’t want to speak for him. But seeing those two compete again on the same court would be amazing.” Yet that’s not all—there are more plans brewing behind the scenes.

Federer’s agent also stated, “There are many players from their generation, and I believe they’d be willing to participate together. The recently retired top players are enough to fill large stadiums.” The last time Federer and Nadal played together was at the 2022 Laver Cup, where they both represented Team Europe. That match also served as Federer’s farewell game.

“I know Rafa would probably like to play some more matches. We all feel the term ‘senior tennis’ sounds a bit off, but maybe we can create our own tour, something like the ‘Fedal Tour.’ That would be really cool.” Although there is no official confirmation yet, Federer’s response when talking about Nadal in a CNBC interview has fueled further speculation.

If this plan comes to fruition, the “Fedal Tour” would undoubtedly be a dream come true for tennis fans. After all, who wouldn’t want to see these two legends compete once more on the same court?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)