Carlos Alcaraz Ready to Battle Amateurs in $1 Million One Point Slam
Amateur players will have the chance to earn A$1m when they face world-class athletes - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open
Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds
How the Event Will Work
Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the next round
The champion of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds
Contextually, players who reached the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars
Previous Comparable Tournaments
The American Grand Slam organized a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars
The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention
The Russian player was the only top-10 player participating, and his campaign came to an end when he put the single service opportunity permitted into the mesh in his last eight match
Event Specifics
Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is projected to mirror a akin setup to the previous version
The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in traditional tennis
While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court
The final stages will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon
Competitor Information
Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have enrolled with the national federation - can compete in 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers
The champions of the community events will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on the specified date
There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter
It commences on early January and the successful competitors will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes
"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will claim the award. Registrations will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"
Tournament officials said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the event portal said "well-known figures" would be taking part