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Amateur players are being offered the possibility to claim one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the next round

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Past Similar Events

The New York major hosted a revamped, separate combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run concluded when he sent the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Competition Details

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is projected to follow a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to serve once and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will be held in a night session instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with the national federation - can participate in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their community centers

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to take part in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can compete in

It starts on the starting date and the successful competitors will advance to the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will claim the reward. Entries will start imminently at clubs nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be involved