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Amateur players are being offered the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they face world-class athletes - featuring leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish 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 a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural quick-fire event in the current season, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his campaign concluded when he put the single service opportunity granted into the net in his quarter-final

Competition Specifics

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is expected to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to serve once and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will take place in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Participation Information

Any Australians - or international players who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'quick-match event' tournaments at their community centers

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every region and area selected to take part in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which amateurs, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the award. Applications will open soon at venues nationwide"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be involved