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Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) player director Steven Martens believes a lack of financial rewards is prompting too many British youngsters to give up playing the game in favour of coaching.

Martens was asked to carry out a review by LTA chief executive Roger Draper following Great Britain’s humiliating Davis Cup defeat by Lithuania recently.

And one of his proposals is to reward young players for victories to allow them to keep playing while also ensuring they have low-cost facilities at which to train.

He said: "If you make that transition from a junior player, it may take another three, four, five, six years before you financially become independent.

"For many people, that becomes a very long journey. If we as a governing body are not supporting them directly and there are no sponsors around to support them, then they stop and go into coaching because it's a more safe and simple alternative."