Carlos Alcaraz Set to Compete Against Amateurs in Million Dollar Single-Point Showdown

Amateur players will have the chance to claim A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will receive a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Related Competitions

The New York major staged a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its debut quick-fire event earlier this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his run came to an end when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be allowed to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

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

Competitor Information

Domestic competitors - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every state and territory chosen to participate in the 'grand finale' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can enter

It starts on early January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at facilities nationwide"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "famous personalities" would be involved