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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to claim A$1m when they compete against elite players - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round

The champion of the event will receive a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Past Similar Events

The New York major organized a redesigned, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player competing, and his run came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is anticipated to emulate a akin setup to this year's edition

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the norm in standard play

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Participation Details

Domestic competitors - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division selected to participate in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It commences on early January and the successful competitors will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the reward. Applications will start imminently at facilities across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "well-known figures" would be participating