Amateur players will have the chance to win a million-dollar prize when they face tennis’ top professionals – including Carlos Alcaraz – in a single-point showdown before January’s Australian Open.
Organisers of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament announced the ‘Million Dollar One Point Slam’ on Tuesday, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals.
Headlined by Spain’s world number one Alcaraz, the winner of the event will take home one million Australian dollars (£490,360).
For context, players that reached the semi-finals of the men’s or women’s singles main draw in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m (£539,500).
Players will play ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to determine who serves or receives.
Whoever wins the point also wins the match and progresses to the next round, with the final to be played on Rod Laver Arena.
It follows the US Open’s decision to stage a revamped, stand-alone mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m (£736,880).
The Australian Open held its inaugural ‘One Point Slam’ event earlier this year, but the prize fund was considerably lower at A$60,000 (£29,400).
Australian professional Omar Jasika won the tournament, which pitted 16 amateurs – eight men and eight women – against 16 professionals.
The amateurs were aged between 15 and 72 in the inaugural edition.
A coin toss was used to determine who served rather than ‘rock, paper and scissors’, while the professionals were only allowed to serve once and the amateur players could serve twice – as is the norm in traditional tennis.
Eight amateurs will qualify through events in each state and territory for the 2026 tournament, while an extra two spots will be up for grabs during the opening week, which starts on Monday, 12 January.
“I can reveal today that world number one Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up in the Million Dollar One Point Slam,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tilley said.
“Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs across the country, and during opening week, finalists will compete for a chance to face the pros on Rod Laver Arena.”
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