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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to claim A$1m when they face world-class athletes - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will earn £490,000

By comparison, players who made it to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress came to an end when he directed the one and only serve allowed into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be permitted to have a single serve and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

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

The final stages will be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Domestic competitors - or international players who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which amateurs, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and sport stars can compete in

It begins on the starting date and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will claim the prize. Entries will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "well-known figures" would be taking part