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Amateur players will have an opportunity to claim A$1m when they take on elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the year's first major

Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to establish who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will progress to the next round

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

By comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Past Related Competitions

The US Open hosted a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural quick-fire event in the current season, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run finished when he put the sole serving chance granted into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Details

Planners have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to emulate a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Entry Information

Local players - or foreign participants who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can enter 'single-point competition' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, developing professionals, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It commences on the starting date and the two winners will qualify for Wednesday's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the prize. Applications will open soon at clubs nationwide"

Tournament officials said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be participating