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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to earn A$1m when they take on elite players - featuring top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle before January's Australian Open

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who made it to the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Previous Related Competitions

The US Open staged a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his progress came to an end when he put the single service opportunity permitted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Competition Information

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is projected to mirror a comparable structure to this year's edition

The elite players will be permitted to have a single serve and the non-professionals twice - 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 main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The final stages will take place in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Entry Details

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'One Point Slam' events at their community centers

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'championship round' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, celebrities and sports personalities can enter

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the final champion will claim the award. Entries will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be taking part