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Recreational competitors are getting an opportunity to earn A$1m when they take on elite players - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at the Australian Open venue

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the next round

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

Contextually, players who reached the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The New York major organized a restructured, independent mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its first-ever One Point Slam earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his run concluded when he directed the sole serving chance permitted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a similar format to the previous version

The top competitors will be permitted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the norm in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Competitor Information

Local players - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can participate in 'single-point competition' tournaments at their community centers

The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can participate in

It starts on early January and the successful competitors will qualify for the following day's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Registrations will open soon at clubs throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be taking part