Carlos Alcaraz to Face Non-Professionals in Million Dollar One Point Slam
Amateur players are being offered the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam
Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pit everyday competitors against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue
How the Event Will Work
Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round
The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds
By comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m
Past Comparable Tournaments
The New York major hosted a revamped, standalone mixed doubles tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars
The Australian Open held its debut One Point Slam earlier this year, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention
One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress came to an end when he put the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his last eight match
Event Specifics
Officials have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is anticipated to mirror a comparable structure to this year's edition
The top competitors will be granted to serve once and the everyday players twice - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis
While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue
The concluding rounds will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time
Competitor Requirements
Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities
The winners of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a entry tournament in December which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can compete in
It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will go into the following day's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors
"No matter your experience, the overall victor will claim the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs nationwide"
Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part