The publication Give Me Sport recently analyzed the fortune of Ion Țiriac, and the conclusions surprised the journalists, especially after the comparison with huge names in world sports, such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to the ranking made by Forbes in 2026, the former Romanian tennis player reached an estimated fortune of 2.3 billion dollars, an increase of approximately 200 million compared to the previous year. The evolution is all the more remarkable because, in just a few years, the fortune of the Romanian practically doubled.
Țiriac remains one of the most influential figures from the financial point of view of tennis, having long been considered the only billionaire born in this sport. Meanwhile, he was joined by Roger Federer, who also crossed the $1 billion mark.
“He has more wealth than football icon Cristiano Ronaldo!”
Even in a broader comparison that includes all sports disciplines, Ion Țiriac’s fortune continues to impress. For example, it surpasses that of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most famous and influential figures in sports globally.
‘I made £200,000 from tennis – now I’m a billionaire and worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
A former tennis star is now worth considerably more than football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, despite retiring from the sport 47 years ago. Indeed, Ion Țiriac was a tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s, but he won a huge amount of money after hanging up his racket.
“Tiriac’s fortune has grown massively in recent years!”
The Romanian won his first French Open title since 1970. Țiriac and fellow Romanian Ilie Năstase won the men’s doubles event that year, his only major title. He would also impress at Wimbledon with a place in the semi-finals, and – far from being the greatest tennis player of all time – this was the next best result of his career. Șiriac retired in 1979, having earned just £200,000 from tennis.
Forbes estimates that, in 2026, the former Romanian tennis player has a net worth of 2.3 billion dollars. This places him on the 1778th place in the list of the richest people in the world. Incredibly, despite his advanced age, Țiriac’s fortune has grown massively in recent years, almost doubling from 2020 to $1.2 billion!”wrote the Canadians at Give Me Sport.
