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Amateur players are being offered the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they take on world-class athletes - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

The Unique Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round

The winner of the event will receive a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who reached the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Related Competitions

The US Open staged a revamped, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his run concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Event Details

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The professionals will be permitted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Information

Local players - or international players who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'single-point competition' competitions at their community centers

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sports personalities can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Applications will begin shortly at clubs across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be involved