This year, the Australian Open introduced its “1 Point Slam”. The contest involved 16 amateur players from the State of Victoria taking on 16 pros for the opportunity to win $60,000.
The 1 Point Slam featured Andrei Rublev as the highest ranked professional, at World No. 6. But local pro Omar Jasika, ranked 179, took home the winner’s cheque.
Photo: Tennis Australia
At the launch of the 2026 Australian Open in October, the new format for the 1 Point Slam was announced. The event will expand both in player and, especially, dollar numbers, and become the “Million Dollar 1 Point Slam”.
Headed by Carlos Alcaraz, the 24 players in the professional cohort will compete against 24 amateurs from around Australia for a winner’s purse of AU$1 million.
Alcaraz, of course, has won six Grand Slam titles, with the Australian Open being the only omission.
Clubs and Tennis Australia partner schools around the country enter by expressing an interest in hosting a 1 Point Slam.
Then starts a Matryoshka doll-style series of 1 Point Slam competitions, beginning in November. Winners from the club and school competitions will face off in the State Championships in December. The winners there will gain automatic entry into the Australian Open’s Million Dollar 1 Point Slam, which takes place during Opening Week in January.
The remaining eight amateur spots in the final will be decided through a qualifying event at Melbourne Park, to be held over the first three days of Opening Week. Retired tennis players, athletes from other sporting codes and “celebrities”, will attempt to qualify for wild cards.
The final on Rod Laver Arena is where the amateurs get their chance to beat the pros and claim the money.
Photo: Tennis Australia
Each of the original host clubs and schools goes into a lottery draw to have a player – amateur or professional – represent them in the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam. The host represented by the eventual million dollar winner will receive a grant of $50,000.
Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley promised that “more big names” would be announced soon to join Carlos Alcaraz in the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam.
Title photo of a million Australian dollars by the NSW Police Force
Update – 5 December 2025
Tennis Australia announced Nick Kyrgios would compete alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam.
Update – 19 December 2025
The latest additions to the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam were announced today – World No. 2 players Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner and No. 3 Coco Gauff.
Update – 24 December 2025
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, finalists Daniil Medvedev and Qinwen Zheng, world No.5 Felix Auger-Aliassime and world No.8 Jasmine Paolini are the latest pro players to enter the 1 Point Slam main draw.