Carlos Alcaraz to Face Amateurs in Million Dollar Single-Point Showdown

Tennis Star Carlos Alcaraz
The Spanish sensation stands as a six-time major tournament victor

Recreational competitors are getting an opportunity to win a seven-figure prize when they face elite players - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the next round

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

Contextually, players who made it to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the last edition won substantial prize money

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major staged a restructured, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance permitted into the net in his quarter-final

Competition Information

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is anticipated to emulate a similar format to the previous version

The elite players will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the norm in standard play

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every geographic division selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on early January and the successful competitors will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will receive the reward. Entries will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website mentioned "well-known figures" would be involved

Dawn Murphy
Dawn Murphy

A tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering consumer electronics and emerging technologies, passionate about simplifying complex innovations.