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2022 ITF Annual Review

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TOURS, THE PLAYER PATHWAY AND OFFICIATING 2022 ITF Annual Review 28 The ITF World Tennis Tour is a fundamental pillar of professional tennis interna onally. It provides the main pathway between the junior game and the very top er of the sport, offering aspiring male and female players compe ve opportuni es so that they can develop their game, earn ranking points, prize money and advance to higher-level tournaments. We provide events on the ITF World Tennis Tour in a range of prize money categories, from entry-level $15,000 tournaments up to $25,000 (for men) and up to $100,000 (for women). Talented individuals can work their way up through the levels and on to the ATP, WTA and Grand Slam tournaments at the pinnacle of professional tennis. Our goal is to grow playing opportuni es on the tour in a way that is cost effec ve for players, provides entry-level compe on closer to home, and fast- tracks the best talent along the pathway. We returned tournament numbers to almost pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with 1,059 being staged (compared to 1,097 in 2019). There were 533 women's tournaments and 526 men's tournaments in 65 countries (see graphic). In partnership with our Na onal Associa ons and other event hosts, the ITF's goal is to expand to 1,100 tournaments in more than 70 countries in 2023. Equal opportunity In 2022, we set new records for the number of women's tournaments on offer at the $60,000, $80,000 and $100,000 prize money levels. Ninety-six W60, W80 and W100 tournaments were held in 2022, compared to 76 in 2019. The ITF is inves ng in the growth of the higher prize money events for women as part of our Advantage All gender equality programme, so that we can achieve parity with what is available at this level of the sport for men. We also provided a record 207 tournaments at the lower W25 ($25,000) level, in total offering record annual prize money of $15 million across the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in 2022. Our investment to ensure equal opportunity for women con nues in 2023 with the introduc on of a new $40,000 prize money category, and we expect more than 40 of these W40 events to be held. Addi onally, all W100 and W80 tournaments are now required to provide complimentary hospitality for players, easing the cost burden for women taking part. This will drive total prize money on offer for the women to a projected new high of $16.5 million in 2023, an expected 10% increase. We con nue to invest in the ITF Men's World Tennis Tour, in 2022 offering 206 tournaments at the ITF World Tennis Tour TOURS AND PLAYER PATHWAY

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