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Amateur players are being offered the chance to earn one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point before January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

The Unique Competition Operates

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

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Earlier Similar Events

The US Open hosted a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in August which prompted top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

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

The Russian player was the only top-10 player involved, and his campaign concluded when he directed the sole serving chance permitted into the mesh in his quarter-final

Event Specifics

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a similar format to the most recent iteration

The professionals will be granted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of early afternoon

Competitor Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with the governing body - can compete in 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a random pairing, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which everyday players, developing professionals, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will receive the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs nationwide"

Tournament officials said there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be involved