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Recreational competitors are being offered the possibility to claim A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - featuring leading player the Spanish champion - in a winner-takes-all point before the year's first major

Organizers of the Melbourne major have announced the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will match a dozen non-professionals against elite athletes in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park

How the Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to determine who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the following stage

The winner of the event will take home approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m

Previous Comparable Tournaments

The New York major staged a redesigned, separate combined gender tournament in late summer which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving one million US dollars

The Melbourne tournament held its debut single-point competition this year, but the cash prize was a smaller amount and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player involved, and his run finished when he directed the single service opportunity permitted into the net in his penultimate round

Event Information

Officials have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to follow a similar format to the most recent iteration

The elite players will be allowed to have a single serve and the non-professionals two times - as is the norm in conventional tennis

While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the location will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The concluding rounds will be held in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Entry Requirements

Domestic competitors - or foreign participants who have signed up with the governing body - can compete in 'quick-match event' events at their community centers

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division selected to compete in the 'grand finale' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and athletic celebrities can compete in

It begins on early January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will claim the reward. Registrations will open soon at venues throughout the nation"

Competition planners stated there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the tournament site said "well-known figures" would be taking part