Alcaraz to Face Amateurs in Seven-Figure Single-Point Showdown

Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they face tennis' top professionals - including world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will progress to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

For comparison, players who made it to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its debut One Point Slam this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the only top-10 player participating, and his campaign came to an end when he put the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his quarter-final

Event Information

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is projected to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the amateurs two times - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Local players - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can participate in 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which everyday players, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sport stars can enter

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the prize. Applications will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Tournament officials said there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the official website mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part