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Amateur players are being offered the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they take on elite players - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point before the Australian Grand Slam

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the following stage

The winner of the event will receive £490,000

For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won A$1.1m

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam organized a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its debut One Point Slam this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his campaign concluded when he directed the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his last eight match

Competition Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is projected to emulate a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be permitted to serve once and the everyday players two times - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of early afternoon

Entry Information

Any Australians - or international players who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' events at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which non-professionals, developing professionals, celebrities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the prize. Registrations will open soon at venues across the country"

Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal indicated "well-known figures" would be participating