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Recreational competitors are getting an opportunity to earn one million Australian dollars when they take on elite players - including world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the Australian Open have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Earlier Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam organized a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the champions receiving $1m

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the sole serving chance permitted into the net in his quarter-final

Competition Information

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is projected to emulate a akin setup 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 uncertain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a night session instead of early afternoon

Competitor Details

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'single-point competition' competitions at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the community events will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every state and territory selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which everyday players, lower ranked pros, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can enter

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the following day's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the prize. Entries will start imminently at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be taking part