Alcaraz to Face Non-Professionals in Million Dollar Single-Point Showdown

Amateur players are getting an opportunity to win one million Australian dollars when they compete against tennis' top professionals - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match 10 amateur players against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and whoever wins the point will advance to the following stage

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

By comparison, players who made it to the final four of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Earlier Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, independent combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving $1m

The year's first major held its debut single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was a smaller amount and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the only top-10 player participating, and his run concluded when he put the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his last eight match

Competition Details

Officials have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is projected to emulate a comparable structure to the previous version

The top competitors will be permitted to make one service and the amateurs two times - as is the usual procedure in standard play

While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the secondary venue

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Entry Information

Local players - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' tournaments at their community centers

The champions of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every state and territory selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which amateurs, aspiring competitors, celebrities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will go into the following day's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will receive the award. Registrations will begin shortly at clubs nationwide"

Tournament officials stated there were "further celebrities to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal indicated "famous personalities" would be taking part