MELBOURNE, Oct 8 — The Australian Open will revive its innovative “1 Point Slam” in 2027 with Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Jannik Sinner among those agreeing to take part Thursday.
The sudden-death contest was played for the first time at Melbourne Park this year ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year, pitting 24 professionals alongside 24 amateurs and celebrity wildcards.
Each match consisted of just one point — win and you advanced, lose and you were out.
Against the odds, amateur Jordan Smith sensationally upset the star-studded field at a packed Rod Laver Arena to collect a AU$1 million (2.84 million) prize.
“It creates an opportunity for grassroots tennis players to share the spotlight with some of the biggest names in the game,” said Tennis Australia’s Tom Larner.
