Alcaraz Set to Compete Against Everyday Players in Million Dollar Single-Point Showdown
Amateur players will have an opportunity to earn A$1m when they compete against elite players - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open
Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park
How the Event Will Work
Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase
The winner of the event will receive ÂŁ490,000
For comparison, players who reached the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won A$1.1m
Previous Similar Events
The US Open staged a restructured, separate combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity
One top competitor was the sole elite competitor involved, and his campaign finished when he directed the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final
Competition Specifics
Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the previous version
The elite players will be granted to serve once and the non-professionals twice - as is the norm in conventional tennis
While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena
The concluding rounds will occur in a night session instead of midday timing
Competitor Details
Local players - or foreign participants who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'One Point Slam' competitions at their neighborhood facilities
The winners of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every region and area chosen to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which amateurs, developing professionals, celebrities and sports personalities can compete in
It starts on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes
"No matter your experience, the final champion will walk away with the award. Applications will begin shortly at clubs across the country"
Competition planners stated there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part
