🔗 Share this article

Amateur players are being offered the possibility to win a seven-figure prize when they face tennis' top professionals - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair a dozen non-professionals against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

The Unique Competition Operates

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will move forward to the next round

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

By comparison, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Past Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam hosted a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete participating, and his progress concluded when he put the sole serving chance granted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Competition Information

Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The professionals will be allowed to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The concluding rounds will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every state and territory chosen to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will open soon at facilities across the country"

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site mentioned "celebrities" would be taking part