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Amateur players are being offered the chance to earn a seven-figure prize when they compete against world-class athletes - including leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to the year's first major

Organizers of the Melbourne major have revealed the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pair everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Event Will Work

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the player who wins the point will advance to the next round

The victor of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

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

Previous Similar Events

The New York major hosted a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its debut One Point Slam earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player participating, and his progress finished when he put the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his quarter-final

Tournament Details

Officials have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is expected to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The professionals will be granted to have a single serve and the everyday players two times - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time

Entry Requirements

Local players - or international players who have registered with the national federation - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their local tennis clubs

The victors of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every region and area chosen to compete in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and sports personalities can compete in

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

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will receive the award. Applications will begin shortly at clubs nationwide"

Competition planners said there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal mentioned "celebrities" would be taking part