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Recreational competitors are getting the chance to claim A$1m when they face elite players - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the following stage

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its debut quick-fire event this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign concluded when he directed the sole serving chance granted into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Information

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to mirror a comparable structure to this year's edition

The elite players will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sport stars can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Registrations will open soon at venues across the country"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be involved