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Amateur players are being offered the chance to claim A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - including leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the next round

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who made it to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam hosted a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Tournament Information

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to emulate a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be granted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings 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 be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Entry Details

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can compete in 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sport stars can participate in

It commences on early January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will claim the prize. Registrations will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"

Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be participating