The ATP revealed this week that there would be significant prize money increases over the next four years that will see overall player compensation on the ATP World Tour reach US$135 million by 2018.

Over the past year, there were rumours and speculation that players were interested in an increase in prize money particularly at Masters 1000 events, which just so happen to be the most impacted events over the coming years. They will witness a 14-percent hike in prize money allocation to players.

Compensation for players at ATP World Tour events in 2015 will exceed US$100 million for the first time in the tour’s history. This increase is a testament to the sustained success of men’s professional tennis, as well as demonstrating the ATP’s confidence in the strength of its product and projected growth in future years.

The biggest increases in player compensation come at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 category, with tournaments providing annual increases of 11%, and with the ATP contributing a further 3% increase, resulting in a 14% annual increase in that category through to 2018. Player compensation at the ATP World Tour 250s is set to increase at an average of 3.5% per year during the same period.

The latest decisions at Masters 1000 and 250-level mean that player compensation is now confirmed across all three ATP World Tour tournament categories for a four-year period. Player compensation for a five-year period for the ATP World Tour 500 category was decided at the end of 2013.

The ATP’s announcement comes shortly following the WTA’s historic broadcast deal several days prior – both signs of the continuous development of tennis on a global scale.