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Recreational competitors will have an opportunity to earn A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

How the Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

By comparison, players who reached the final four of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The New York major organized a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his run finished when he directed the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Information

Planners have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is anticipated to mirror a similar format to this year's edition

The elite players will be granted to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The final stages will be held in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Local players - or international players who have registered with the governing body - can participate in 'quick-match event' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every region and area 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 amateurs, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will receive the reward. Entries will open soon at venues nationwide"

Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "well-known figures" would be taking part