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Amateur players are getting the chance to earn A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown before the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the following stage

The champion of the event will take home a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who made it to the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The New York major hosted a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which prompted top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut single-point competition in the current season, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress came to an end when he sent the single service opportunity allowed failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Event Information

Planners have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is anticipated to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be granted to serve once and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis

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

The last matches will occur in a night session instead of midday timing

Competitor Information

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'single-point competition' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, developing professionals, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It commences on early January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will walk away with the reward. Registrations will open soon at clubs throughout the nation"

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal mentioned "well-known figures" would be participating