🔗 Share this article

Amateur players will have the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle before 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 elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who reached 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 US Open hosted a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its debut single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress concluded when he sent the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is projected to emulate a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

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

Participation Information

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can participate in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on the starting date and the two winners will advance to the following day's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will walk away with the prize. Entries will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the official website mentioned "celebrities" would be involved