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Amateur players are being offered the possibility to earn A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who reached the final four of the men's or women's singles in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a redesigned, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its debut quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress concluded when he sent the single service opportunity granted into the mesh in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Details

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

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

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be involved