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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they take on world-class athletes - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the year's first major

Organizers of the Australian Open have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Tournament Functions

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round

The winner of the event will receive a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Similar Events

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

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

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his run concluded when he sent the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his last eight match

Competition Specifics

Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to emulate a comparable structure to the previous version

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

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The final stages will be held in a night session instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every region and area picked to participate in the 'final competition' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and sport stars can enter

It commences on early January and the pair of champions will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will walk away with the prize. Registrations will start imminently at facilities across the country"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "famous personalities" would be taking part