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Amateur players will have the chance to win A$1m when they face elite players - featuring top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle before the year's first major

Event planners of the Australian Open have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

The Unique Competition Operates

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the next round

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

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

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam staged a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its debut One Point Slam this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress finished when he directed the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Information

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is expected to mirror a akin setup to this year's edition

The elite players will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals twice - as is the norm in standard play

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The last matches will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Entry Details

Any Australians - or international players who have enrolled with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every region and area selected to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the award. Registrations will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website said "famous personalities" would be participating