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Recreational competitors will have the chance to claim a seven-figure prize when they take on elite players - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Organizers of the Australian Open have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

How the Event Will Work

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

The champion of the event will earn a significant cash prize

Contextually, players who made it to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the last edition won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The New York major staged a redesigned, separate mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving $1m

The year's first major held its first-ever quick-fire event this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his progress concluded when he put the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Specifics

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is projected to mirror a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be permitted to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

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

Entry Requirements

Local players - or international players who have registered with the national federation - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in December which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sports personalities can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will claim the prize. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"

Competition planners stated there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "famous personalities" would be participating