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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Competition Operates

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round

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

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 organized a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut single-point competition this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign concluded when he put the one and only serve permitted failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Planners have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is projected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The top competitors will be allowed to serve once and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in standard play

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Participation Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'One Point Slam' events at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on the specified date

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

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the award. Applications will start imminently at venues across the country"

Event organizers mentioned there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "famous personalities" would be involved