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Amateur players are getting the possibility to earn A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the following stage

The victor of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam hosted a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its debut One Point Slam this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress concluded when he put the sole serving chance granted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Event Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Participation Information

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every region and area picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sport stars can compete in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the prize. Entries will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "well-known figures" would be taking part