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Recreational competitors are being offered the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle before the year's first major

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Competition Operates

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will receive £490,000

For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Related Competitions

The US Open hosted a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run came to an end when he sent the sole serving chance granted into the net in his last eight match

Competition Specifics

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is anticipated to emulate a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the everyday players twice - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

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

Entry Requirements

Local players - or international players who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory selected 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 non-professionals, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It begins on early January and the pair of champions will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at facilities across the country"

Event organizers said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the official website mentioned "well-known figures" would be involved