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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to win A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle leading up to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will earn £490,000

For comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Past Related Competitions

The US Open staged a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving $1m

The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress concluded when he directed the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is anticipated to emulate a comparable structure to this year's edition

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in standard play

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Details

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every region and area chosen to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

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

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be taking part