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Recreational competitors are being offered an opportunity to earn a seven-figure prize when they take on tennis' top professionals - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will receive a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Past Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam hosted a revamped, separate combined gender tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player competing, and his progress came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance permitted into the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Details

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will work, 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 standard practice in standard play

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

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

Participation Requirements

Local players - or overseas competitors who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will walk away with the award. Applications will start imminently at clubs across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be involved