What is the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam? Who will join Carlos Alcaraz in the draw?
First, there was the revamped high-profile US Open mixed doubles event, and now we have the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam at the 2026 Australian Open as Grand Slam organisers look to offer more entertainment to spectators.
Next year’s season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park will feature the “world-first Million Dollar 1 Point Slam” that will see 22 tennis professionals compete against 10 amateurs from Australia for their chance to win A$1 million (about $659,000 and £493,000).
The exhibition event will take place during the Australian Open Opening Week that runs from January 12-17, with the singles main draw being staged from January 18 until February 1.
In the past, the week before the singles draw was reserved for charity matches and open practice sessions, but it is now being turned into a week of entertainment to get more people involved and more fans in the stands.
So what is the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam?
Organisers described it as a “world first” and it will be a regular knockout draw event at Rod Laver Arena, featuring 32 players. The server and receiver will be determined through the “rock, paper, scissors” hand game and they will then play for one point only.
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Whoever wins the point will win the match, progress to the next round and stay in the hunt for the A$1m prize with the loser going home with nothing.
There will be five knockout rounds and the last player standing will walk away with the grand prize.
Who will compete at the 1 Million Dollar 1 Point Slam?
The first star to commit to the tournament is world No 1 Alcaraz with Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley shedding light.
“I can reveal today that world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up in the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam – a thrilling new initiative where one point could win you $1 million,” he told the official website.
“Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize.”
Tiley later revealed on the Weekly Tennis Podcast, “we got a call from Jannik Sinner, we got a call from Venus Williams, we got a call from pro players that are really keen and wanting to sign up”.
He added: “It’s going to be the highest-ranked men and women that will get in, the 32-draw will be a 90-minute to a two-hour show. The whole idea about it is not so much on the professional side, is to really activate the community. It’s for everyone to feel like they have a chance to play something at the Australian Open.”
What about the amateurs?
According to Tiley, entries will open soon at clubs across Australia and those who win their club tournaments are likely to qualify for a play-off event ahead of the main show.
While the 2026 Million Dollar 1 Point Slam will feature professionals at the very top, it will be the second time that the 1 Point Slam has taken place at the Australian Open.
However, the inaugural edition in 2025 at Kia Arena featured 16 amateur players from Victoria taking on 16 lower-level pros and Victorian pro Omar Jasika was the last man standing and walked away with $60,000.
Revamped Mixed Doubles v Million Dollar 1 Point Slam
The Australian Open’s decision to introduce the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam is no doubt a reaction to the US Open mixed doubles tournament that became a hot topic at this year’s season-ending Grand Slam.
USTA organisers introduced a new mixed doubles format with the competition featuring several big-name singles players as Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu were partners, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud were on a team, Elena Rybakina partnered with Taylor Fritz, and Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper were on the same side of the net.
In the end, doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori came out on top as they successfully defended their US Open mixed doubles crown to earn a cheque of $1 million.
