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Amateur players are being offered the possibility to claim a seven-figure prize when they take on world-class athletes - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round

The winner of the event will take home a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its debut quick-fire event earlier this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run concluded when he put the one and only serve granted into the mesh in his last eight match

Event Details

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to mirror a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Entry Details

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'One Point Slam' events at their community centers

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'championship round' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sport stars can compete in

It starts on early January and the successful competitors will go into the following day's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will walk away with the award. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site indicated "well-known figures" would be taking part