The ITF tour has announced a major restructuring of the pro tennis from 2019, which will reduce the number of the professional tennis players.
The change will provide more opportunities for the for the next generation of talented players and it will reduce the number of the professional tennis players.
The lowest-level pro tournaments, the 15,000 $ “futures” events, will no longer exist, as they will be replaced by the ITF Transitation Tour, which will offer ITF Entry Points instead of ATP/WTA ranking points. The ITF Entry Points will be used by the players to get into the ITF professional tournaments. These tournaments will be held within a localised circuit structure that reduces costs and increases opportunity for players, and reduces staging costs for organisers.
According to the ITF Board Of Directors, “The ITF’s proposed restructuring will radically reduce the number of professional players competing for ATP and WTA ranking points. The ITF’s extensive modelling work has led to a recommended professional player group of no more than 750 men and 750 women players. This new approach will introduce a clearer and more effective professional pathway and ensure that prize money levels at ITF Pro Circuit events are better targeted to ensure that more players can make a living from the professional game.”
ITF President David Haggerty said: “The ITF’s Player Pathway study is the most comprehensive review of professional tennis ever undertaken and has highlighted the considerable challenges at the base of our game. Over 14,000 players competed at professional level last year which is simply too many. Radical changes are needed to address the issues of transition between the junior and professional game, playing affordability, and tournament cost.”
“We have already taken an important step forward by increasing prize money levels at ITF Pro Circuit tournaments. The next step is to ensure the structure of professional tennis is fit for purpose through a targeted job opportunities approach that will create a smaller group of true professional players. At the same time it is imperative that we do not reduce the chance for players of any nation or background to start their journey towards the top 100.”
