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Recreational competitors will have an opportunity to earn one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point before the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Australian Open have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing 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 advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Past Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam hosted a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

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

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his run concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Event Details

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The top competitors will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The final stages will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Entry Requirements

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have enrolled with the governing body - can participate in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which everyday players, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sports personalities can compete in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will advance to Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the award. Applications will begin shortly at facilities throughout the nation"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the event portal indicated "well-known figures" would be participating