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Recreational competitors will have the possibility to win A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round

The winner of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Similar Events

The US Open hosted a restructured, standalone mixed doubles 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 debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run came to an end when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

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

The top competitors will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The concluding rounds will take place in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Participation Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can participate in 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every state and territory selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can compete in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the reward. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"

Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "famous personalities" would be involved