🔗 Share this article

Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

How the Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will receive £490,000

By comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam organized a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut One Point Slam earlier this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress finished when he directed the one and only serve granted into the mesh in his last eight match

Tournament Details

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The final stages will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Participation Information

Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'single-point competition' tournaments at their community centers

The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will go into the following day's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will claim the reward. Registrations will begin shortly at facilities throughout the nation"

Event organizers said there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "celebrities" would be involved