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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered the possibility to earn one million Australian dollars when they face tennis' top professionals - featuring leading player 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 announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at Melbourne Park

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the classic hand game' to establish who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will advance to the next round

The winner of the event will earn approximately half a million pounds

For comparison, players who reached the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The US Open organized a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his run came to an end when he sent the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his last eight match

Tournament Details

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will work, but it is projected to emulate a similar format to the previous version

The professionals will be permitted to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the main stadium rather than the secondary venue

The concluding rounds will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Competitor Requirements

Local players - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' competitions at their community centers

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with a single non-professional from every geographic division selected to participate in the 'grand finale' in a evening match on mid-January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can enter

It commences on Monday, 12 January and the pair of champions will go into the midweek 'grand finale' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will claim the award. Registrations will begin shortly at clubs throughout the nation"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "further celebrities to be announced soon", while the event portal said "famous personalities" would be taking part