If you’ve never tuned into the ATP Challenger Tour, make it your new year’s resolution to watch the game’s brightest young stars this upcoming season.

One week from now, the Challenger Tour will begin its 46th year. This season, set to begin 2 January, will introduce innovations and enhancements that will strengthen the experience for players, spectators, and tournament hosts.

Key changes to this upcoming season, which were announced in September, include a projected 195 events, multi-million dollar prize money increases, and an optimised tournament calendar.

Total prize money on the Challenger Tour will rise from $13.2 million in 2022 to a record $21.1 million in 2023, an increase of 60 per cent. Round-by-round prize money distributions will improve earnings in the earlier rounds of tournaments.

Improvements will also see the Challenger Tour closely align with the ATP Tour and deliver a better balance of tournaments in both surface types and regions. The new enhancements will help create a more sustainable player pathway for more players competing on the Challenger Tour.

In addition to the four core tournament categories (50, 75, 100, 125), ATP will introduce three new premium Challenger 175 tournaments, which will be held during the second week of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Rome, and Madrid.

“The Challenger Tour is the launchpad of men’s professional tennis,” said ATP Tour Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi. “[This] is a critical step forward for the entire ecosystem. The new plan increases earnings potential for players and improves the balance of tournament categories, surfaces and regions. It also puts a renewed focus on raising tournament standards. Our team is committed to delivering further enhancements in the coming months and years.”

The Challenger Tour season will begin with five tournaments during opening week, including events in Australia, New Caledonia, Thailand, Argentina, and Portugal.