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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to win A$1m when they face world-class athletes - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

The Unique Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the next round

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

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

Past Comparable Tournaments

The US Open hosted a restructured, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving one million US dollars

The Australian Open held its first-ever quick-fire event in the current season, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress concluded when he sent the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his last eight match

Competition Specifics

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to emulate a comparable structure to this year's edition

The top competitors will be granted to have a single serve and the non-professionals on two occasions - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will take place in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Entry Details

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

The victors of the community events will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the two winners will go into the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the award. Entries will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Tournament officials said there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be involved