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Recreational competitors are being offered the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they compete against elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the following stage

The victor of the event will take home £490,000

By comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major staged a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign came to an end when he sent the one and only serve allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Specifics

Officials have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to emulate a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be permitted to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the norm in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Participation Details

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with the governing body - can compete in 'One Point Slam' events at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every region and area picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sports personalities can compete in

It starts on the starting date and the pair of champions will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will claim the prize. Entries will start imminently at venues throughout the nation"

Event organizers mentioned there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be taking part