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Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to earn A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Event Will Work

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will progress to the next round

The champion of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who reached the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run finished when he put the one and only serve allowed into the mesh in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is anticipated to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition

The professionals will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can compete in

It begins on early January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will claim the award. Entries will begin shortly at venues nationwide"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal mentioned "well-known figures" would be taking part