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Amateur players will have the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they compete against elite players - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who made it to the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Similar Events

The US Open staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its first-ever One Point Slam this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his last eight match

Event Details

Officials have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the non-professionals two times - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Entry Information

Local players - or foreign participants who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every state and territory selected to participate in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

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

It starts on early January and the pair of champions will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will walk away with the award. Applications will open soon at clubs nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be involved