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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to win a seven-figure prize when they compete against tennis' top professionals - featuring top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the following stage

The winner of the event will take home a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who reached the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the last edition won A$1.1m

Previous Similar Events

The US Open hosted a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress came to an end when he put the one and only serve permitted failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Tournament Information

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the previous version

The top competitors will be granted to have a single serve and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can participate in 'single-point competition' competitions at their community centers

The champions of the community events will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, developing professionals, famous personalities and sport stars can compete in

It commences on early January and the pair of champions will go into Wednesday's 'championship match' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will receive the award. Entries will begin shortly at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be participating