Carlos Alcaraz Ready to Battle Non-Professionals in Million Dollar Winner-Takes-All Event
Amateur players are getting the possibility to win a seven-figure prize when they face elite players - featuring world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to January's Australian Open
Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park
How the Event Will Work
Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase
The victor of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds
For comparison, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars
Previous Related Competitions
The American Grand Slam hosted a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars
The year's first major held its first-ever One Point Slam earlier this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity
One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress came to an end when he sent the sole serving chance permitted failing to clear the net in his last eight match
Tournament Information
Planners have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is projected to mirror a similar format to the previous version
The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in standard play
While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue
The final stages will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time
Competitor Requirements
Local players - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their local tennis clubs
The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sports personalities can compete in
It begins on early January and the two winners will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals
"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the prize. Entries will begin shortly at venues throughout the nation"
Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be involved