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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they take on elite players - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

The Unique Event Will Work

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the last edition won substantial prize money

Previous Related Competitions

The New York major staged a restructured, separate combined gender tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his progress concluded when he sent the one and only serve allowed into the mesh in his quarter-final

Competition Information

Officials have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to the previous version

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

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Participation Information

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with the national federation - can enter 'single-point competition' competitions at their community centers

The victors of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every region and area picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which everyday players, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter

It begins on the starting date and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the reward. Applications will begin shortly at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners mentioned there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site said "famous personalities" would be participating