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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle before January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Competition Operates

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who made it to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Similar Events

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his campaign concluded when he sent the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Event Specifics

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the most recent iteration

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

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Entry Information

Domestic competitors - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'championship round' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and sport stars can compete in

It begins on the starting date and the successful competitors will advance to Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at clubs across the country"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be involved