Carlos Alcaraz to Face Everyday Players in Million Dollar Winner-Takes-All Event
Amateur players are being offered an opportunity to win A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - featuring world number one the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major
Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park
This Innovative Tournament Functions
Players will play 'the classic hand game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the following stage
The champion of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds
By comparison, players who made it to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won substantial prize money
Earlier Similar Events
The New York major organized a revamped, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving $1m
The Australian Open held its first-ever One Point Slam this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity
One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his run concluded when he put the one and only serve permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round
Competition Information
Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to emulate a akin setup to the previous version
The elite players will be allowed to serve once and the amateurs on two occasions - as is the norm in traditional tennis
While it is not certain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the primary court rather than the secondary venue
The final stages will occur in a night session instead of 1pm local time
Participation Requirements
Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with the governing body - can enter 'One Point Slam' competitions at their community centers
The winners of the community events will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on the specified date
There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and sport stars can enter
It commences on the starting date and the pair of champions will go into Wednesday's 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and top-ranked athletes
"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the prize. Registrations will begin shortly at clubs nationwide"
Event organizers mentioned there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "famous personalities" would be taking part