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Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to earn a seven-figure prize when they take on elite players - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

How the Competition Operates

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

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

By 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

Previous Similar Events

The US Open staged a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his run finished when he sent the single service opportunity granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Competition Specifics

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition

The professionals will be permitted to make one service and the everyday players two times - as is the norm in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Entry Information

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' competitions at their community centers

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sport stars can participate in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will receive the reward. Entries will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"

Tournament officials said there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "celebrities" would be involved