🔗 Share this article

Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting an opportunity to win a seven-figure prize when they face world-class athletes - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who reached the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the last edition won substantial prize money

Past Related Competitions

The New York major hosted a revamped, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player participating, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance permitted into the net in his last eight match

Competition Specifics

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to have a single serve and the amateurs twice - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The concluding rounds will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Entry Requirements

Any Australians - or international players who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can enter 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will qualify for Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will claim the award. Applications will begin shortly at venues throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part