Jannik Sinner and Other Champions Face Complete Strangers: The Million-Dollar Format Returns

The “Million Dollar 1 Point Slam” will take center stage again in 2027, on the sidelines of the Australian Open. The organizers of the season’s first Grand Slam confirmed on Wednesday that the tournament—which took social media by storm in its inaugural edition—will return during the week leading up to the first matches of the main draw in Melbourne. Once again, one million Australian dollars—equivalent to 610,000 euros—will be up for grabs in a format that has turned traditional tennis on its head.

The rules are simple and ruthless: a single point to decide each match, a single-elimination bracket, men and women competing together, and professionals and amateurs on the same court. One shot, one mistake, a flash of genius—that’s all it takes to advance or be eliminated. In 2026, the field included such heavyweights as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, and Naomi Osaka. Yet the winner was a complete unknown: Jordan Smith.

The Australian amateur tennis player had even managed to beat Sinner, thanks to a double fault by the Italian on his only service game. “I had entered a qualifying tournament in Sydney,” Smith told Tennis Australia, “and I certainly didn’t expect to end up at Rod Laver Arena playing against incredible champions. Imagine if I’d actually expected to win! That tournament changed my life; I hope to be an inspiration to many young people: you never know—you’ve got to give it a try.”

Starting next week, then, the Australian tennis community will mobilize from the grassroots level, with affiliated clubs, associations, coaches, and partner schools of Tennis Australia able to express interest in hosting a qualifying tournament. A national network aimed at discovering new underdogs ready to challenge the world’s tennis greats in a format where a single point can change a career.