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

Recreational competitors are getting the chance to earn a seven-figure prize when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major

Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

How the Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will receive a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won substantial prize money

Earlier Related Competitions

The New York major organized a restructured, independent mixed doubles tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever One Point Slam this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress concluded when he sent the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Details

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to emulate a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Entry Information

Local players - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every region and area picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which everyday players, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on early January and the successful competitors will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will claim the prize. Entries will start imminently at venues across the country"

Event organizers said there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the official website said "celebrities" would be participating