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Amateur players are getting an opportunity to claim A$1m when they take on world-class athletes - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the next round

The champion of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major hosted a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural single-point competition earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his run finished when he sent the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Competition Specifics

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is expected to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will take place in a night session instead of midday timing

Participation Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have enrolled with the governing body - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every state and territory selected to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can compete in

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the reward. Entries will begin shortly at venues nationwide"

Event organizers said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be participating