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Recreational competitors are getting an opportunity to claim A$1m when they face world-class athletes - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

How the Tournament Functions

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The champion of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

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

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Competition Information

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to emulate a comparable structure to the previous version

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the amateurs two times - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Participation Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every state and territory chosen to take part in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in the final month which everyday players, lower ranked pros, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on early January and the two winners will qualify for the midweek 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will claim the reward. Registrations will start imminently at facilities nationwide"

Competition planners mentioned there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site said "celebrities" would be involved