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Recreational competitors are being offered the possibility to earn a seven-figure prize when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

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

By comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Earlier Related Competitions

The US Open organized a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor competing, and his campaign concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed into the mesh in his last eight match

Event Specifics

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is expected to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Entry Details

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'single-point competition' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sports personalities can participate in

It begins on the starting date and the two winners will qualify for Wednesday's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the reward. Registrations will open soon at clubs throughout the nation"

Event organizers mentioned there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part