Carlos Alcaraz Set to Compete Against Non-Professionals in Million Dollar One Point Slam
Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - including leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the Australian Grand Slam
Organizers of the Melbourne major have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park
How the Event Will Work
Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the following stage
The victor of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds
Contextually, players who made it to the final four of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money
Earlier Related Competitions
The American Grand Slam organized a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure
One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress came to an end when he directed the single service opportunity allowed into the mesh in his penultimate round
Competition Information
Planners have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is anticipated to emulate a akin setup to this year's edition
The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the non-professionals two times - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis
While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena
The concluding rounds will be held in a evening slot instead of early afternoon
Competitor Details
Domestic competitors - or international players who have enrolled with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their local tennis clubs
The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a qualifying draw in December which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can participate in
It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes
"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will receive the award. Applications will start imminently at clubs nationwide"
Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be taking part