Carlos Alcaraz to Face Non-Professionals in $1 Million Winner-Takes-All Event

Amateur players are getting the possibility to win A$1m when they compete against world-class athletes - featuring world number one the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Australian Open have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who made it to the final four of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Earlier Related Competitions

The New York major staged a redesigned, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress came to an end when he put the single service opportunity granted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Competition Details

Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to emulate a similar format to this year's edition

The top competitors will be permitted to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will be held in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Entry Information

Local players - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their community centers

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every region and area picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will walk away with the reward. Entries will open soon at facilities nationwide"

Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be involved