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Amateur players are getting the possibility to claim a seven-figure prize when they compete against tennis' top professionals - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the year's first major

Event planners of the year's first Grand Slam have revealed the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit a dozen non-professionals against 22 professionals in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Event Will Work

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who gets to serve or return, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round

The winner of the event will earn £490,000

By comparison, players who advanced to the final four of the primary tournaments in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Past Related Competitions

The New York major hosted a restructured, separate mixed doubles tournament in late summer which motivated top singles players to take part, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress came to an end when he put the single service opportunity allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Planners have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the everyday players on two occasions - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the draw will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of early afternoon

Competitor Information

Local players - or overseas competitors who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the community events will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'championship round' in a evening match on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in the final month which non-professionals, lower ranked pros, celebrities and athletic celebrities can enter

It starts on early January and the two winners will advance to the following day's 'grand finale' with the other eight amateurs and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the final champion will claim the prize. Registrations will start imminently at venues across the country"

Event organizers said there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site indicated "celebrities" would be participating