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Amateur players are being offered the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point before January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who made it to the final four of the primary tournaments in the last edition won A$1.1m

Past Similar Events

The New York major staged a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut One Point Slam in the current season, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run concluded when he directed the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to this year's edition

The professionals will be permitted to serve once and the everyday players two times - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Participation Details

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have registered with the governing body - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will claim the reward. Registrations will start imminently at clubs across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal indicated "celebrities" would be taking part