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Amateur players are being offered an opportunity to win A$1m when they compete against elite players - featuring top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

The Unique Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the next round

The victor of the event will earn £490,000

For comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam hosted a redesigned, independent combined gender tournament in August which motivated top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The year's first major held its debut One Point Slam earlier this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his run finished when he sent the single service opportunity permitted into the net in his last eight match

Event Specifics

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is projected to mirror a akin setup to the previous version

The professionals will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The last matches will take place in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Competitor Information

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with the national federation - can compete in 'One Point Slam' competitions at their community centers

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to participate in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can compete in

It begins on the starting date and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will claim the reward. Entries will start imminently at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the official website said "celebrities" would be participating