Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1024526
14 ITFWorld // SUMMER 2018 In women's tennis in 2019, tournaments offering a minimum of $25,000 in prize money will continue to offer WTA Ranking points. Women's structure Men's structure 2018 STRUCTURE 2019 STRUCTURE WTA Ranking Points ITF World Ranking points ITF Junior Ranking Points WTA TOUR ITF PRO CIRCUIT $60K - $100K ITF PRO CIRCUIT $25K ITF PRO CIRCUIT $15K WTA TOUR ITF $60K - $100K ITF $25K ITF $15K ITF JUNIOR CIRCUIT ITF JUNIOR CIRCUIT 2018 STRUCTURE 2019 STRUCTURE ATP WORLD TOUR ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ITF PRO CIRCUIT $25K ITF PRO CIRCUIT $15K ATP WORLD TOUR ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ITF $25K ATP Ranking Points ITF World Ranking points ITF Junior Ranking Points ITF $15 ITF JUNIOR CIRCUIT ITF JUNIOR CIRCUIT A new ranking point structure The ITF World Tennis Tour structure will see $15,000 men's and women's tournaments repositioned and offer ITF World Tennis Ranking points instead of ATP and WTA Ranking points. The introduction of the ITF World Tennis Tour is the next step in a phased approach to reform, which started in 2016. Prize money increases saw $15,000 tournaments uplifted to $25,000 in 2016, while $10,000 tournaments, the lowest professional level, were uplifted to $15,000 in 2017. The goal of the reforms are to: 1) Target prize money at a reduced number of players – approximately 750 men and 750 women with ATP and WTA rankings. Currently over 3,000 players hold a professional ranking. 2) Reduce costs for players and tournament organisers at the entry level, thereby making tournament hosting more affordable, and increasing opportunities for more players from more countries to join the pathway. "The new worldwide tournament structure will help address issues of transition between the junior and senior game, and enable more professional players to make a living," said ITF President David Haggerty. In men's tennis in 2019, $25,000 events will offer both ATP Ranking points (later rounds) and ITF World Tennis Ranking points (all rounds), while the qualifying round of ATP Challenger tournaments will also offer ITF World Tennis Ranking points. Many players will compete in both $15,000 and ATP or WTA-ranking point tournaments, and will therefore have both an ATP or WTA Ranking and an ITF World Tennis Ranking. I T F W O R L D T E N N I S T O U R Former Wimbledon junior winner Jelena Ostapenko was crowned Roland Garros champion in 2017