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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the possibility to earn A$1m when they face elite players - headed by top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Event Will Work

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will advance to the following stage

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who reached the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won substantial prize money

Past Similar Events

The New York major organized a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which motivated top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress concluded when he sent the single service opportunity permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Event Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to mirror a comparable structure to the previous version

The professionals will be granted to serve once and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

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

Entry Requirements

Domestic competitors - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every region and area chosen to take part in the 'final competition' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can compete in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will qualify for the following day's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the reward. Applications will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be participating