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Recreational competitors will have the possibility to claim A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

The Unique Competition Operates

Participants must play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won substantial prize money

Earlier Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a revamped, independent mixed doubles tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition earlier this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the only top-10 player participating, and his campaign finished when he sent the sole serving chance granted into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is projected to follow a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the amateurs twice - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

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

The final stages will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Details

Domestic competitors - or international players who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every region and area selected to participate in the 'grand finale' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and sport stars can compete in

It commences on early January and the pair of champions will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will receive the reward. Registrations will open soon at facilities across the country"

Tournament officials said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website mentioned "famous personalities" would be taking part