Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is arguably one of the best, if not the best, tennis players to ever play the game. 

His scintillating and subtle playing style, as well as his approachable and humble demeanour, has made him a fan favourite and popular amongst his peers.

The 36-year-old is ranked 2nd in the world and as his ranking underlines, is still a formidable figure in elite tennis.

Federer demonstrated his exceptional talent and ability earlier this year when he claimed another two Grand Slam titles, taking his total tally to 19.

He has won the most Grand Slams in history, and has also held the world no.1 spot in the ATP rankings for a record total of 302 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks. 

Staggering.

The Swiss phenomenon undoubtedly has been blessed with great talent and has graced the tennis world for many years. His ability, coupled with determination and hard work has led to him being very successful on the tennis court.

Off the court, however, he is also a success and has been well compensated for it.

He has earned over $100m in prize money alone and has also racked up an eye watering amount in sponsorships.

In 2016, he earned approximately $60m in sponsorship deals alone and contunues to be favourite with advertisers that include Wilson, Credit Suisse, Mercedes, Rolex, Lindt, Jura, Moet & Chandon, Sunrise, NetJets, and Nike.

There is no doubt that he is a money making machine, but there is one source of his income that has some scratching their heads.

Many of the top players play their regular tennis matches throughout the year. Tournaments and Grand Slams take up much of their time. However, when they aren't recuperating or playing in major competitions, they tend to take part in exhibition matches or "friendlies" with usually little or much reduced prize money.

What has been revealed, though, is the fees that Roger Federer has requested for playing in these games despite being a multimillionaire.

According to Tennis World Magazine, the Swiss has asked for $2million and upwards to play in exhibition tournaments. 

These included the International Tennis Premier League in 2014 and the Laver Cup this year. He also asked for more than one million dollars to play in ATP 250 and 500 events.

This might come as a surprise to many as his significant earnings mean he does not necessarily need to demand additional fees for playing in exhibition games. 

It does, however, highlight the tremendous power and influence the elite players have and reminds us of the role money playes in the game, on and off the court. 

Federer, though, is well known for his charity work and is active with his RF Foundation - he played two exhibitions for the foundation in April this year and has donated approximately $30 million to educational programs in Africa.