Road Map sends WTA tour in new direction

Women's tennis will get a 40 per cent pay rise next year along with bigger fines, suspensions and responsibility for the leading players.

Road Map 2010, the WTA's masterplan to bring order to the sport's structure and schedule, will be formally unveiled at the US Open next month.

Tour prize money will rise from $63.6 million in 2006 to $84.4 million next season.

Under Road Map 2010, 26 Tier One and Tier Two events will be combined into 20 Premiere tournaments with players committed to play in at least 10. Four $4.5 million tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing will be mandatory for all players who qualify.

Below the mandatory events will be five $2 million stops in Canada, Dubai, Rome, Cincinnati and Tokyo, of which the top-ranked players must play at least four.

Players will complete their schedules by playing in at least one or two $700,000 events.

The WTA also laid out a list of penalties designed to hurt players were it matters most, in the pocket and the rankings.

If a player pulls out, even due to injury, she will forfeit bonus money ($5 million available to the top 10 ranked players) and receive zero ranking points for that event.