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Recreational competitors are being offered an opportunity to earn A$1m when they face world-class athletes - headed by leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will receive a significant cash prize

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

Earlier Related Competitions

The US Open staged a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its inaugural quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run finished when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a comparable structure to the previous version

The elite players will be granted to have a single serve and the amateurs two times - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Competitor Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which amateurs, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will receive the award. Entries will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Tournament officials stated there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "celebrities" would be participating