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Amateur players are getting the chance to win A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the following stage

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

For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Past Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his campaign concluded when he sent the sole serving chance granted into the net in his last eight match

Competition Details

Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to the previous version

The professionals will be granted to make one service and the amateurs two times - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Local players - or foreign participants who have registered with the national federation - can participate in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their community centers

The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sports personalities can compete in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the final champion will walk away with the reward. Registrations will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"

Event organizers mentioned there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site mentioned "celebrities" would be participating