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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting an opportunity to win one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the Melbourne major have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the following stage

The champion of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major organized a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its inaugural quick-fire event earlier this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor competing, and his progress concluded when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his penultimate round

Event Information

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is projected to emulate a akin setup to this year's edition

The professionals will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals twice - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is not certain 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 occur in a night session instead of midday timing

Participation Details

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to participate in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to the following day's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the reward. Applications will begin shortly at facilities nationwide"

Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website said "famous personalities" would be involved