Villa versus Forest: Top-Flight Match Preview
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- By Christopher Cooper
- 19 Jul 2026
Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting the chance to win A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a winner-takes-all point leading up to January's Australian Open
Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue
Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to decide who takes the serve or return position, and the player who wins the point will move forward to the following stage
The winner of the event will take home £490,000
For comparison, players who made it to the final four of the main draw competitions in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m
The New York major organized a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize
The year's first major held its inaugural quick-fire event this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 and it had limited exposure
One top competitor was the only top-10 player competing, and his run came to an end when he put the one and only serve granted into the net in his quarter-final
Planners have not specified precisely how the event will operate, but it is anticipated to mirror a akin setup to the previous version
The elite players will be granted to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis
While it is unclear how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the site will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena
The final stages will occur in a night session instead of midday timing
Local players - or foreign participants who have signed up with the national federation - can compete in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities
The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every region and area picked to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on mid-January
There will also be a entry tournament in late year which non-professionals, aspiring competitors, well-known figures and sport stars can enter
It starts on early January and the successful competitors will go into the following day's 'final showdown' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors
"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the final champion will claim the prize. Registrations will start imminently at clubs nationwide"
Competition planners mentioned there were "additional stars to be unveiled imminently", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be involved
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