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Recreational competitors will have the chance to earn A$1m when they take on tennis' top professionals - headed by world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Australian Open have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Tournament Functions

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to determine who takes the serve or return position, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the following stage

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

For comparison, players who made it to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The New York major staged a redesigned, independent mixed doubles tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut One Point Slam in the current season, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player involved, and his progress came to an end when he sent the sole serving chance granted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Specifics

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

The professionals will be granted to have a single serve and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Entry Details

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers

The victors of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to participate in the 'grand finale' in a nighttime event on the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can compete in

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will advance to Wednesday's 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"Regardless of your skill level, the ultimate winner will walk away with the reward. Registrations will open soon at clubs across the country"

Tournament officials said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the official website indicated "well-known figures" would be participating