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Amateur players will have an opportunity to win one million Australian dollars when they take on elite players - featuring leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

How the Event Will Work

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will advance to the following stage

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

For comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Past Similar Events

The US Open staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which prompted top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its inaugural One Point Slam earlier this year, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his campaign concluded when he put the single service opportunity permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Competition Details

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is anticipated to emulate a similar format to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be permitted to have a single serve and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will be held in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Entry Requirements

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'single-point competition' competitions at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every state and territory picked to take part in the 'grand finale' in a night session on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in late year which amateurs, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can participate in

It begins on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will advance to the midweek 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will receive the prize. Entries will open soon at venues across the country"

Competition planners said there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be taking part