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Amateur players are getting the possibility to earn a seven-figure prize when they take on elite players - featuring top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle before the year's first major

Event planners of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who made it to the final four of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Previous Similar Events

The US Open staged a redesigned, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the one and only serve permitted failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is projected to follow a comparable structure to the previous version

The professionals will be allowed to make one service and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

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

Competitor Details

Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can participate in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every region and area selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will go into the following day's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will walk away with the reward. Entries will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Event organizers said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be taking part