Tennis is considered one of the most lucrative sports in the world, with players earning multi-million dollar prizes at major Grand Slam events such as Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, and French Open.
Sports legends such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams have amassed immense wealth through their illustrious careers and sponsorship deals, but surprisingly, none of them have been able to claim the title of the richest tennis player in the world.
That honor goes to Ion Țiriac, a former tennis player and now a successful businessman. His net worth is astonishingly around 629 billion Pakistani rupees, making him a major figure in the business world, taking him beyond the world of sports.
Romania’s Ion Țiriac initially represented his country in ice hockey, but later turned to tennis as his career. As a professional player in the 1960s and 1970s, he won 34 singles and 22 doubles titles. He won the doubles title with compatriot Elias Nastas at the 1970 French Open. Despite 15 years of Davis Cup representation, his real success was outside of tennis.
After retiring from tennis, Ion Țiriac entered the world of business. In 1990, he founded Ion Țiriac Bank, Romania’s first private financial institution. Later, he invested in various sectors such as automotive, real estate, financial services, and aviation. His company, Țiriac Holdings, today manages more than 40 private firms.
In 2007, Ion Țiriac became the first Romanian to make the Forbes billionaires list, and he has been steadily expanding his business portfolio ever since. His story is an inspiring example of how a tennis player became a global business tycoon.
