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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the chance to earn A$1m when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will earn £490,000

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

Earlier Related Competitions

The US Open hosted a redesigned, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which prompted top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving $1m

The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the total purse was A$60,000 and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor participating, and his campaign came to an end when he directed the one and only serve allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Competition Specifics

Officials have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Competitor Requirements

Any Australians - or international players who have signed up with the national federation - can enter 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in December which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can enter

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will qualify for Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will claim the award. Registrations will open soon at venues across the country"

Event organizers stated there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website mentioned "celebrities" would be participating