Australian Open's Million-dollar 1 Point Slam returns: What it means
What's the story
The Australian Open has announced the return of the popular Million-Dollar 1 Point Slam for its 2027 edition. The event will take place during the tournament's Opening Week, offering a whopping AUD 1 million (around $705,000) prize money. The decision comes after the success of the second edition earlier this year, where an unknown local amateur took home a life-changing prize.
Underdog triumph
Jordan Smith won this year
The second edition of the 1 Point Slam was won by local amateur Jordan Smith, who shocked the world by defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
He went on to win the AUD 1 million prize after Taiwan's Joanna Garland sent a two-handed backhand wide on just the third shot of the final point.
Smith said he hoped to inspire more players to give it a go, just like he did.
Game rules
What is the 1 point slam?
The 1 Point Slam is different from regular tennis tournaments as it is based on sudden death.
Each match consists of just one point, with players deciding who serves through a game of rock, paper, scissors.
The chosen server gets only one chance to play their serve if they are a professional player. If a professional faults, they are immediately eliminated, whereas amateurs are granted two serves to balance the field.
Once the serve is in play, the rally continues until someone wins the point and advances to the next round.
Diverse competition
Last edition featured several Grand Slam champions
The 1 Point Slam attracts a wide range of competitors, from professional players to local amateurs and celebrities.
The last edition featured Grand Slam champions like Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Alexander Zverev.
Taiwanese music superstar Jay Chou also participated but was knocked out without hitting a single ball by an ace from Petar Jovic.