Alcaraz Ready to Battle Amateurs in $1 Million Winner-Takes-All Event
Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered an opportunity to earn A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to January's Australian Open
Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds
The Unique Tournament Functions
Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the next round
The victor of the event will take home £490,000
Contextually, players who made it to the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars
Previous Comparable Tournaments
The New York major hosted a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving $1m
The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam earlier this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention
One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his run came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final
Tournament Specifics
Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition
The elite players will be granted to make one service and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in standard play
While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court
The last matches will occur in a night session instead of midday timing
Entry Details
Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can participate in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities
The victors of the community events will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every region and area picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can participate in
It commences on the starting date and the two winners will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes
"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Entries will start imminently at clubs nationwide"
Tournament officials stated there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "famous personalities" would be taking part