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Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to earn A$1m when they take on elite players - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Tournament Functions

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the following stage

The victor of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The US Open staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor involved, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the single service opportunity permitted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The top competitors will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Entry Requirements

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every region and area selected to take part in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which amateurs, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It commences on the starting date and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at facilities across the country"

Tournament officials said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal indicated "well-known figures" would be participating