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Recreational competitors are getting an opportunity to earn A$1m when they compete against elite players - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will receive £490,000

For comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam organized a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his run concluded when he put the one and only serve permitted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Event Information

Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to emulate a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be granted to serve once and the non-professionals two times - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can enter 'single-point competition' tournaments at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every region and area picked to take part in the 'final competition' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It begins on early January and the pair of champions will go into the midweek 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will claim the reward. Entries will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be involved