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Recreational competitors will have the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the next round

The champion of the event will receive a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its debut One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run concluded when he directed the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Information

Officials have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to emulate a akin setup to the previous version

The professionals will be granted to serve once and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice 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 final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Details

Domestic competitors - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'quick-match event' tournaments at their community centers

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on early January and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will claim the reward. Registrations will start imminently at venues nationwide"

Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be involved