The ITF Men’s Circuit $15,000 (£10,00/€13,000) category tournaments will be increased to $25,000 (£16,000/€22,3000) in 2016, while the lower-level $10,000 (£6,500/€9,000) tournaments will be increased to $15,000 (£10,000/€13,000) in 2017.

Meanwhile, the ITF Women’s Circuit, which currently includes tournaments between $10,000 (£6,500/€9,000) and $100,000 (£65,000/€89,000), will see the elimination of the $15,000 ((£10,000/€13,000) category in 2016 with the view that these tournaments will offer $25,000 (£16,000/€22,000) in prize money, while in 2017 prize money levels will rise to between $15,000 (£10,000/€13,000) and $125,000 (£81,000/€111,000).

Additional rises for both circuits are currently planned for 2018 and are due to be announced at a later date.

The introduction of the increases will seek to minimise the impact of prize money rises on tournament numbers and player opportunities worldwide while better rewarding players at the Pro Circuit level, it is claimed.

It follows a detailed review of the ITF professional tennis structure and an extensive consultation with more than 8,000 tennis stakeholders at all levels of the game.

“The ITF Pro Circuit is the foundation of professional tennis where the next generation of top professionals is developed thanks to the investment and support of the ITF and its National Association partners,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

“The ITF Board of Directors has taken an important step forward by increasing prize money levels at Circuit tournaments.

“Combined with a targeted approach to set weekly tournament numbers, these increases will have a considerable and positive effect on players at all levels of the game.

“At the same time, the ITF is committed to introducing changes in a phased manner, to minimise the impact on tournament numbers, especially in developing tennis nations, to ensure no nation or its talented players are priced out of professional tennis.”

In order that the prize money increases are as effective as possible, the ITF will look to ensure that all prize money categories are geographically spread with a set number of opportunities each week.

The phasing of the prize money increases will also allow the ITF to assess the impact of the initial rises on tournament numbers and job opportunities, it is claimed. 

The ITF Pro Circuit Review, which was commissioned in 2013, assessed various changes to the entry levels of professional tennis to ensure developing tennis nations are financially able to continue to host events in the future.

These changes will continue to be reviewed in 2015 for future consideration by the ITF Board of Directors and both the men's and women's Tours.

The total prize money at last year's Wimbledon Championships was increased by 10.8 per cent on the previous year to £25 million ($39 million/€34 million), while the French Open paid out more than ever before with the overall prize fund boosted by €3 million (£2 million/$3.5 million) to just over €25 million (£18 million/$28 million).


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