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Amateur players will have an opportunity to claim A$1m when they take on elite players - including leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Earlier Similar Events

The American Grand Slam organized a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his campaign came to an end when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his penultimate round

Tournament Specifics

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

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The concluding rounds will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have registered with the national federation - can participate in 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every region and area selected to participate in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It begins on the starting date and the successful competitors will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the prize. Registrations will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be involved