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Recreational competitors are being offered an opportunity to win one million Australian dollars when they compete against world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to the year's first major

Event planners of the Melbourne major have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

The Unique Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will progress to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive £490,000

Contextually, players who reached the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a restructured, independent combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving $1m

The year's first major held its first-ever One Point Slam in the current season, but the total purse was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor participating, and his run finished when he sent the sole serving chance permitted into the mesh in his last eight match

Event Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to follow a similar format to the previous version

The elite players will be granted to make one service and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in standard play

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

The final stages will be held in a night session instead of 1pm local time

Participation Information

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'One Point Slam' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with a single non-professional from every state and territory chosen to compete in the 'final competition' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, well-known figures and sport stars can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the ultimate winner will claim the reward. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"

Event organizers said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be involved