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Amateur players will have the possibility to win A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to the year's first major

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pit everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

The Unique Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

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

By comparison, players who made it to the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Past Similar Events

The US Open hosted a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress finished when he sent the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Details

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Participation Requirements

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with the national federation - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every state and territory chosen to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which everyday players, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will receive the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at clubs across the country"

Event organizers stated there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be involved