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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting an opportunity to claim one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Competition Operates

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the following stage

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

By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The New York major organized a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity permitted into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Specifics

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is anticipated to follow a comparable structure to this year's edition

The top competitors will be granted to have a single serve and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Participation Details

Any Australians - or international players who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'single-point competition' competitions at their community centers

The champions of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which amateurs, aspiring competitors, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will walk away with the prize. Registrations will open soon at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site mentioned "well-known figures" would be taking part