Alcaraz Set to Compete Against Amateurs in $1 Million Single-Point Showdown
Recreational competitors are being offered the possibility to claim A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point before the year's first major
Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park
How the Tournament Functions
Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the following stage
The winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize
Contextually, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money
Past Similar Events
The American Grand Slam organized a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its first-ever One Point Slam in the current season, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure
The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress concluded when he put the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final
Tournament Specifics
Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is anticipated to emulate a comparable structure to this year's edition
The professionals will be granted to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis
While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue
The last matches will be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time
Competitor Requirements
Local players - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities
The champions of the community events will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January
There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sports personalities can enter
It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will advance to Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors
"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"
Event organizers stated there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "well-known figures" would be participating