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Recreational competitors are being offered the possibility to win A$1m when they face elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will take home a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major staged a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam earlier this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign came to an end when he sent the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Event Details

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will occur in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Participation Requirements

Domestic competitors - or international players who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every region and area chosen to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sports personalities can compete in

It starts on the starting date and the successful competitors will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the award. Registrations will open soon at clubs across the country"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be taking part