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Recreational competitors are being offered the chance to claim A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle prior to the year's first major

Organizers of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will advance to the next round

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

Contextually, players who made it to the semi-finals of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The American Grand Slam organized a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving $1m

The Australian Open held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the cash prize was A$60,000 and it received minimal attention

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress concluded when he sent the one and only serve permitted into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Specifics

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

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

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will be held in a night session instead of early afternoon

Competitor Details

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'final competition' in a nighttime event on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in late year which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can participate in

It begins on early January and the two winners will qualify for the following day's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Applications will open soon at clubs nationwide"

Competition planners stated there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site mentioned "famous personalities" would be participating