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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the possibility to claim A$1m when they take on world-class athletes - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Tournament Functions

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will take home a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The US Open organized a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress finished when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his last eight match

Event Information

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The top competitors will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Competitor Information

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

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every region and area picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can participate in

It starts on early January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will claim the reward. Entries will begin shortly at facilities nationwide"

Event organizers mentioned there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "celebrities" would be participating