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Recreational competitors are being offered the chance to earn A$1m when they compete against elite players - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round

The victor of the event will take home a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The New York major hosted a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor competing, and his progress finished when he sent the sole serving chance allowed failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The elite players will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

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

Entry Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'One Point Slam' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every region and area selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will walk away with the reward. Applications will open soon at clubs throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "well-known figures" would be involved