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Recreational competitors are getting the possibility to win A$1m when they compete against elite players - including top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Organizers of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

The Unique Event Will Work

Players will play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will advance to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Similar Events

The American Grand Slam organized a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor competing, and his campaign concluded when he put the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Specifics

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

The elite players will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will take place in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Participation Information

Local players - or international players who have registered with the national federation - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their local tennis clubs

The winners of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every state and territory picked to participate in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which everyday players, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

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

Tournament officials said there were "additional stars to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be taking part