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Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to claim A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance 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 last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its debut single-point competition this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his run concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed into the mesh in his last eight match

Event Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition

The elite players will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals twice - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The final stages will take place in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Domestic competitors - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' competitions at their community centers

The winners of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and sport stars can compete in

It commences on the starting date and the two winners will qualify for Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will claim the award. Entries will begin shortly at clubs throughout the nation"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal mentioned "well-known figures" would be involved