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Amateur players are being offered the chance to win A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to the year's first major

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Event Will Work

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who made it to the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the last edition won substantial prize money

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a restructured, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving $1m

The year's first major held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his campaign finished when he put the sole serving chance allowed into the mesh in his quarter-final

Tournament Details

Officials have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to mirror a comparable structure to the previous version

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The final stages will take place in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Local players - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every region and area selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on the starting date and the two winners will advance to the following day's 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will claim the award. Applications will begin shortly at clubs throughout the nation"

Tournament officials said there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be taking part