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Recreational competitors will have an opportunity to earn A$1m when they face elite players - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will progress to the following stage

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who reached the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a restructured, independent mixed doubles tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his campaign concluded when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Details

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is projected to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the everyday players two times - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of early afternoon

Competitor Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to take part in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will advance to the midweek 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Registrations will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be taking part