In 2015, the Australian Open organisers had an idea to involve amateur players in the tournament.
So the “Win a Wildcard” competition was dreamt up. Pairs of amateur mixed doubles players from around Australia competed for the wildcard to enter the main draw of the tournament.
Sam Thompson and Masa Jovanovic of Melbourne were the winners. They played their first round match on Show Court 3 before a packed and hugely supportive crowd.
Their opponents were the 7th seeded team, comprised of remarkable doubles players – Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.
The amateur team did themselves proud, especially in the second set. Hingis and Paes won 6-2 7-6(2)
This year Tennis Australia devised an “AO 1 Point Slam” as a way of including amateurs in Opening Week of the Australian Open.
Unlike the Win a Wildcard, the 1 Point Slam is obviously not part of the main draw, but still offers amateurs the opportunity to play against the pros.
In the knockout singles competition, amateur v. professional play a point, with the amateurs getting the standard two serves while the professionals are limited to just one. The winner comes away with the AU$60,000 prize.
There were 16 amateurs ranging in age from 15 to 72, pitted against 16 professional players.
The pros included World No. 17 Hubert Hurkacz, No.79 ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild, and Australians Andrew Bolt, Jason Kubler, Dane Sweeney, Olivia Gadecki, Astra Sharma and Priscilla Hon.
World No. 9 Andrey Rublev also took part and, perhaps charitably, faulted his only serve away.
The amateur player to make it the furthest was 56 year old Paul Fitzgerald, who went all the way to the semis. Along the way he hit three aces – two out wide and one down the middle – to easily make make progress through the five rounds (31 one point matches).
In the semi, he faced Priscilla Hon who beat him with a backhand winner down the line. For his efforts, Fitzgerald received four tickets to the Australian Open women’s final.
So the final ended up being between two pros, Hon against Omar Jasika. It was 27 year old Jasika, the 2014 US Open Junior Boys’ Champion, currently ranked 179 in the world, who took the trophy.
“That last point was pretty lucky, I think, for me,” he said. “She almost made that lob, you know. It only missed by centimetres.”
Jasika also claimed the cheque for $60,000. That amount represents $10,000 more than his average annual earnings on the tour for the last 10 years. And for 2025, it means Jasika has already earned $61,990 in the first nine days of January, adding his payment for playing in the first round of Qualifying for the Adelaide International. Unfortunately, he had to retire in that match at 0-6 1-2.
The prize money from the AO 1 Point Slam is a handy addition to the coffers of a hard-working player.
Not surprisingly, Jasika remarked that he was “…super stoked and hoping to come back next year.”
Title photo of Andrey Rublev and participants by Alex Coppel / Tennis Australia