Alcaraz Ready to Battle Non-Professionals in Million Dollar Winner-Takes-All Event

Amateur players are being offered an opportunity to claim one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair everyday competitors against elite athletes in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Competition Operates

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the next round

The winner of the event will take home £490,000

By comparison, players who reached the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam staged a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player competing, and his progress came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Tournament Information

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to the previous version

The professionals will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Competitor Information

Domestic competitors - or international players who have enrolled with the national federation - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division picked to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can compete in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will receive the award. Applications will open soon at venues nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal said "well-known figures" would be participating