🔗 Share this article

Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting an opportunity to earn one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Tournament Functions

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the next round

The champion of the event will earn a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open staged a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run came to an end when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his last eight match

Event Information

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Details

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every geographic division picked to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can compete in

It commences on the starting date and the pair of champions will advance to the following day's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "well-known figures" would be participating