Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to claim A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point before January's Australian Open
Tournament officials of the Australian Open have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds
How the Tournament Functions
Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round
The winner of the event will take home £490,000
For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars
Previous Similar Events
The New York major hosted a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure
The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign finished when he directed the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his quarter-final
Tournament Information
Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to the most recent iteration
The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure 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 secondary venue
The final stages will be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time
Entry Requirements
Domestic competitors - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities
The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every state and territory picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January
There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can enter
It starts on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes
"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will claim the prize. Applications will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"
Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "famous personalities" would be involved
