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Amateur players are getting an opportunity to win A$1m when they take on world-class athletes - featuring world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The New York major staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

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

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign finished when he put the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Event Information

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Information

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every region and area selected to take part in the 'grand finale' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which everyday players, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and sports personalities can participate in

It commences on early January and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will receive the prize. Registrations will open soon at clubs across the country"

Event organizers mentioned there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be involved