🔗 Share this article

Recreational competitors are being offered an opportunity to claim A$1m when they take on world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will move forward to the next round

The winner of the event will earn £490,000

For comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam staged a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

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

The Russian player was the only top-10 player involved, and his run concluded when he sent the sole serving chance permitted into the mesh in his last eight match

Event Specifics

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The elite players will be granted to serve once and the everyday players twice - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Local players - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every region and area picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and sports personalities can compete in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will receive the reward. Registrations will start imminently at facilities across the country"

Event organizers said there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site mentioned "celebrities" would be involved