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Recreational competitors will have the possibility to claim a seven-figure prize when they compete against elite players - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won A$1.1m

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The US Open staged a revamped, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player competing, and his run concluded when he sent the sole serving chance permitted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Competition Specifics

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

The elite players will be granted to make one service and the everyday players two times - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Entry Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to take part in the 'championship round' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the final champion will walk away with the reward. Applications will start imminently at venues nationwide"

Event organizers stated there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal said "well-known figures" would be participating