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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to win A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle before the year's first major

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

How the Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to establish who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress concluded when he directed the one and only serve granted into the mesh in his last eight match

Tournament Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to emulate a comparable structure to the previous version

The elite players will be permitted to serve once and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have registered with the national federation - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every state and territory selected to compete in the 'championship round' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which amateurs, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for the midweek 'championship match' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

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

Tournament officials mentioned there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "famous personalities" would be participating