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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to claim A$1m when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will advance to the next round

The victor of the event will take home a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who made it to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Similar Events

The New York major hosted a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run finished when he sent the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to the previous version

The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can enter 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on mid-January

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

It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will claim the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at facilities throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be involved