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Amateur players are getting the chance to claim A$1m when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

The Unique Competition Operates

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who reached the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major organized a redesigned, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the only top-10 player participating, and his run came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity granted into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to the previous version

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Any Australians - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in December which everyday players, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and sports personalities can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Entries will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Event organizers said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be involved