MELBOURNE : Australian Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will headline the AO 1 Point Slam alongside Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka next year, as professionals and amateurs compete for a million-dollar prize ahead of the Grand Slam.
The event, part of Australian Open opening week, features professionals and amateurs in a knockout competition where a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” decides who serves or receives and a single point determines the winner of each match.
The format proved popular after its introduction at the 2025 tournament, when Australian professional Omar Jasika won the inaugural A$60,000 ($41,736) prize.
Sydney amateur Jordan Smith won A$1 million this year after beating Taiwan professional Joanna Garland in the final. Smith had earlier defeated Sinner and Amanda Anisimova.
“The AO 1 Point Slam is unlike anything else in world sport,” Australian Open Chief Tennis Officer Tom Larner said.
“It creates an opportunity for grassroots tennis players to share the spotlight with some of the biggest names in the game,” Larner added.
Organisers said at the Australian Open launch in Melbourne on Thursday that amateur players across Australia were competing in qualifying events at local clubs.
The 2027 champion will receive an AO 1 Point Slam trophy made from Australian silver, organisers said. The final will be played at Rod Laver Arena on Jan. 13, four days before the Australian Open main draw begins on Jan. 17.
The event will once again bring professional stars and amateur players together in a one-point knockout format, with the million-dollar prize adding to the attraction ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam.
