Carlos Alcaraz to Face Everyday Players in $1 Million Winner-Takes-All Event
Amateur players will have the chance to earn A$1m when they take on world-class athletes - including world number one the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown before the Australian Grand Slam
Organizers of the Melbourne major have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds
How the Event Will Work
Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round
The champion of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds
Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m
Earlier Similar Events
The US Open organized a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m
The Australian Open held its inaugural One Point Slam earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity
Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player participating, and his run came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final
Competition Specifics
Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to mirror a comparable structure to the most recent iteration
The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis
While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue
The concluding rounds will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time
Participation Information
Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the national federation - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities
The winners of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every region and area picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January
There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and sport stars can enter
It begins on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors
"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the reward. Applications will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"
Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the official website said "famous personalities" would be participating