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Amateur players are being offered the chance to claim a seven-figure prize when they face elite players - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will progress to the next round

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

Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Previous Related Competitions

The US Open hosted a redesigned, independent combined gender tournament in August which motivated top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever One Point Slam earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress finished when he sent the one and only serve granted into the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Information

Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be permitted to have a single serve and the non-professionals twice - as is the norm in standard play

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The final stages will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Participation Requirements

Any Australians - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on early January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the reward. Applications will start imminently at venues nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be taking part