ITF

The ITF Pro Circuit provides entry-level playing opportunities for professional tennis players in individual week-long tournaments. The Women's Circuit comprises tournaments in six different prize money categories ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, while the Men's Circuit comprises two: $10,000 and $15,000. The Grand Slam Development Fund provides crucial funding to ITF member nations to ensure playing opportunities are as widespread as possible. In 2013, 11 nations received assistance from the Grand Slam Development Fund. The ITF Pro Circuit provides guidance and extensive playing opportunities to young athletes embarking on a professional tennis career. The Player Welfare programme offers players access to an emergency 24-hour counselling service and an advisory website covering a wide range of topics. It also provides educational material, including informative videos, which are available to players via their personal IPIN (International Player Identification Number) accounts. The IPIN service enables players to manage their tournament entries online and allows for important messages and announcements to be easily and efficiently distributed to players. In 2013, Pro IPIN membership grew by six per cent to a total of 19,351 members. On 1 July 2013, live scoring was launched across the ITF Pro Circuit. A scoreboard on the ITF Pro Circuit and tournament websites features live point-by-point scores and match statistics from the current week's events. In the six months to December, 88 per cent of Pro Circuit tournaments (578 tournaments in total) covering more than 60 countries have benefitted from a live scoring service. ITF Women's Circuit The number of ITF Women's Circuit tournaments grew to 551 in 2013, a 14 per cent increase on 2012. A 40 per cent reduction was seen in the number of $100,000 tournaments but the number of $50,000 tournaments increased by 20 per cent. With a 19 per cent rise in $10,000 tournaments, overall prize money on offer increased by $505,000 to $10,725,000. Europe staged the most tournaments in 2013, with 293 tournaments offering $5,505,000 in prize money. This was followed by Asia with 78 tournaments ($1,700,000) and Africa with 65 tournaments ($845,000). North America hosted 47 tournaments ($1,545,000) and South America followed with 39 tournaments ($530,000). Central America/Caribbean contributed an additional seven tournaments from their tally in 2012, taking their 2013 total to 16 events ($275,000) and Oceania organised 13 tournaments ($325,000). The Junior Exempt project, which offered three main draw places to each of the Top 10 female junior players from the 2012 year-end rankings, saw Ana Konjuh (CRO) win the $25,000 Montpellier tournament and Petra Uberalova (SVK) claim her first ITF Women's Circuit singles title at the $25,000 tournament in Darmstadt. ITF Men's Circuit In 2013 the total prize money on offer on the ITF Men's Circuit rose by eight per cent to $7,230,000. The overall number of tournaments increased by nine per cent to 637 largely due to a rise of 13 per cent in the number of $10,000 tournaments. A total of 381 tournaments, offering $4,245,000 in prize money, were held in Europe representing a 20 per cent increase on 2012. Both South America and Asia contributed $790,000 each in prize money (a total of 69 and 67 tournaments respectively). Egypt's activity raised Africa's number of tournaments by 145 per cent (49 tournaments) offering prize money of $540,000. North America held 40 tournaments ($485,000), Central America/ Caribbean staged 22 tournaments ($245,000) and Oceania contributed nine tournaments ($135,000). The Junior Exempt project rewarded the 2012 year-end Top 10 male junior players with direct acceptance into the main draw of three selected ITF Men's Circuit tournaments which led to Nikola Milojevic (SRB) winning the $10,000 Marathon tournament in Athens. 19,351 $17,955,000 Pro IPIN members Total Pro Circuit prize money 13 12 PROFESSIONAL TENNIS: ITF PRO CIRCUIT The ITF Pro Circuit provides guidance and extensive playing opportunities to young athletes embarking on a professional tennis career. ITF PRO CIRCUIT

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