🔗 Share this article

Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to claim one million Australian dollars when they face world-class athletes - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point before January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

The Unique Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will earn £490,000

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

Past Related Competitions

The New York major organized a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its inaugural One Point Slam this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress concluded when he put the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Tournament Details

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is anticipated to emulate a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be granted to serve once and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

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

Participation Information

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with the governing body - can enter 'single-point competition' competitions at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It begins on the starting date and the pair of champions will advance to the following day's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Applications will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be participating