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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to claim a seven-figure prize when they face world-class athletes - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

How the Event Will Work

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the subsequent phase

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

By comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his campaign concluded when he put the single service opportunity permitted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Specifics

Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players twice - as is the norm in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Participation Information

Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have registered with the national federation - can enter 'single-point competition' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and sport stars can participate in

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will receive the reward. Entries will begin shortly at facilities nationwide"

Event organizers stated there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "famous personalities" would be participating