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Everyday tennis enthusiasts will have the possibility to win one million Australian dollars when they face world-class athletes - featuring world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle leading up to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Event Will Work

Players will play 'the classic hand game' to establish who gets to serve or return, and whoever wins the point will progress to the next round

The champion of the event will earn £490,000

For comparison, players who reached the final four of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a revamped, standalone combined gender tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its inaugural quick-fire event earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

One top competitor was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress finished when he directed the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will function, but it is projected to follow a similar format to this year's edition

The professionals will be permitted to serve once and the amateurs two times - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

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

Participation Requirements

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division chosen to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can participate in

It commences on the starting date and the pair of champions will advance to the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and elite competitors

"No matter your experience, the overall victor will receive the prize. Entries will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners mentioned there were "further celebrities to be revealed shortly", while the tournament site indicated "well-known figures" would be participating