Carlos Alcaraz Set to Compete Against Everyday Players in Seven-Figure Winner-Takes-All Event
Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the possibility to claim A$1m when they take on elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam
Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds
How the Event Will Work
Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase
The winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize
For comparison, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won substantial prize money
Past Related Competitions
The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars
The year's first major held its debut One Point Slam 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 participating, and his progress finished when he directed the one and only serve granted into the net in his penultimate round
Event Details
Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to this year's edition
The professionals will be granted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis
While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court
The last matches will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing
Entry Details
Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs
The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in
It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will go into the following day's 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors
"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will receive the award. Entries will open soon at facilities nationwide"
Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be taking part