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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have an opportunity to win A$1m when they compete against elite players - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

The Unique Tournament Functions

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to establish who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the following stage

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

For comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Past Similar Events

The US Open staged a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress finished when he directed the single service opportunity granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Details

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a comparable structure to this year's edition

The elite players will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

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

Entry Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with the national federation - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It starts on early January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will walk away with the award. Entries will open soon at clubs throughout the nation"

Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be participating