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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they face world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will take home £490,000

For comparison, players who made it to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The US Open organized a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its debut One Point Slam earlier this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor competing, and his run finished when he directed the one and only serve granted into the net in his quarter-final

Event Details

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

The elite players will be permitted to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Participation Requirements

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have enrolled with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The victors 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 mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can enter

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will claim the award. Applications will open soon at facilities nationwide"

Competition planners said there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be participating