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Amateur players will have an opportunity to claim A$1m when they take on elite players - headed by leading player Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point prior to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

The Unique Tournament Functions

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

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money

Previous Similar Events

The US Open organized a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his run came to an end when he put the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Event Specifics

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will function, but it is projected to mirror a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be granted to have a single serve and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The final stages will take place in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Domestic competitors - or international players who have enrolled with the governing body - can participate in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'final competition' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which amateurs, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It commences on the starting date and the successful competitors will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the reward. Applications will start imminently at clubs throughout the nation"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website said "famous personalities" would be involved