Carlos Alcaraz to Face Everyday Players in $1 Million Winner-Takes-All Event

Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they take on world-class athletes - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round

The victor of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress came to an end when he directed the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Details

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

The elite players will be allowed to make one service and the non-professionals twice - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a night session instead of midday timing

Participation Information

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the governing body - can participate in 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'championship round' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can enter

It begins on early January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Registrations will start imminently at facilities across the country"

Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be participating