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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown before the year's first major

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

How the Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide 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 receive approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who reached the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money

Previous Related Competitions

The New York major hosted a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which motivated top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Event Information

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Participation Information

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - 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 one amateur player from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'final competition' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on the starting date and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will open soon at facilities across the country"

Event organizers mentioned there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the official website mentioned "well-known figures" would be involved