The ITF had alluded to this restructure in March last year and have now confirmed the details today.

The first of these reforms is the transition tour, which is designed to provide a more effective pathway linking the ITF junior circuit to the senior professional game, while also ensuring that professional tournament prize money is distributed in a way to enable more players to make a living.

The creation of the tour is based on ITF research that shows that only 350 men and 250 women out of more than 14,000 players are able to break even in their tennis careers.

With this in mind, the transition tour will be staged within a more localised circuit structure that reduces costs for players and tournament organisers.

The transition tour forms part of a new worldwide tournament structure that has been agreed between the ITF, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which is expected to reduce the number of professional players with ATP and WTA rankings from 3,000 players to approximately 750 men and 750 women.

The new transition tour tournaments will award ITF Entry Points instead of ATP and WTA ranking points.

The ITF have also unveiled a new ranking points system for both the men's and women's game.

In a statement, the ITF said: "In women's tennis in 2019, tournaments offering a minimum of $25,000 (£17,500/€20,000) in prize money will continue to offer WTA ranking points.

"In men's tennis in 2019, $25,000 (£17,500/€20,000) ITF Pro Circuit events will offer both ATP ranking points (later rounds) and ITF Entry Points (all rounds); while the qualifying rounds of ATP Challenger tournaments will also offer both ATP ranking points (all events) and ITF Entry Points (events up to $125,000 (£87,000/€100,000) in prize money).

"From 2020, it is anticipated that $25,000 (£17,500/€20,000) men's tournaments will also form part of the transition tour and offer ITF Entry Points only.

"Many players will end up competing on both the transition tour and in ATP/WTA-ranking point tournaments, and will, therefore, have both a professional ranking and an ITF Entry Point standing.

"Under the new structure, the two systems are linked with players able to use their ITF Entry Point standing to gain acceptance into professional events."

Additionally, the new ranking points system will look to guarantee successful junior and transition tour players spots in certain tournaments including ATP Challenger competitions and ITF Pro Circuit tournaments.

The ITF are also set to limit the number of higher-ranked players competing in transition tour tournaments to maximise opportunities for other players.

Currently, anyone outside the women's top ten or the men's top 150 can play in $15,000 events.

However, under the new structure, it is hoped that most players with ATP and WTA rankings would choose to enter professional tournaments rather than transition competitions.

ITF President David Haggerty hopes that the new structure will help more young players break through to the professional game.

"The new worldwide tournament structure in which we have collaborated with the ATP and WTA will help address the issues of transition between the junior and senior game, and enable more professional players to make a living," he said.

"However it is vital that we do not reduce the chance for players of any nation or background to enter the professional pathway.

"The introduction of the transition tour will allow players to take the first steps towards becoming a future champion within a more targeted and affordable circuit structure."

WTA chairman and chief executive Steve Simon added: "It is the goal of many talented young tennis players to compete on the WTA Tour.

"We support the restructuring of the pathway to professional tennis that is being announced by the ITF which is designed to simplify the forward progress of talented young players through different tournament levels.

"These efforts will provide more targeted job opportunities for players, and ultimately establish a clear pathway structure for players to move up to the WTA professional level."