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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they compete against elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the Melbourne major have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

By comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a revamped, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Event Information

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to emulate a akin setup to this year's edition

The top competitors will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The final stages will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Any Australians - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their community centers

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and sport stars can compete in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will receive the prize. Entries will start imminently at facilities nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be participating