Alcaraz to Face Non-Professionals in Seven-Figure Single-Point Showdown
Recreational competitors will have an opportunity to earn A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major
Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds
How the Tournament Functions
Players will 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 winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize
For comparison, players who made it to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars
Past Similar Events
The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its debut One Point Slam in the current season, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention
Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his run came to an end when he put the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his quarter-final
Event Information
Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to mirror a similar format to the previous version
The elite players will be allowed to make one service and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis
While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue
The concluding rounds will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time
Entry Information
Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their community centers
The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January
There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter
It starts 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
"No matter your experience, the final champion will walk away with the reward. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"
Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website said "well-known figures" would be participating