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Everyday tennis enthusiasts are being offered an opportunity to win a seven-figure prize when they face world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz - in a one-point battle prior to January's Australian Open

Event planners of the Melbourne major have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match everyday competitors against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at the Australian Open venue

How the Event Will Work

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will advance to the following stage

The winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize

For comparison, players who advanced to the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Previous Related Competitions

The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, standalone mixed doubles tournament in the eighth month which motivated top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his progress came to an end when he put the single service opportunity granted failing to clear the net in his penultimate round

Competition Specifics

Organizers have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to emulate a comparable structure to this year's edition

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the everyday players twice - as is the usual procedure in conventional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the site will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Any Australians - or overseas competitors who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The champions 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 the specified date

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and sports personalities can enter

It commences on early January and the successful competitors will go into the midweek 'grand finale' with the additional everyday players and 10 professionals

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the award. Registrations will begin shortly at facilities nationwide"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site indicated "famous personalities" would be involved