Australian open fans scoff at $10m bracket promise
A bold promise meets doubt
Fans heading into the 2026 Australian Open have been presented with a chance to win a life changing sum of money, but the promotion has quickly sparked criticism across social media and within the tennis community.
According to the Daily Mail, the tournament has introduced a $10 million bracket challenge that requires participants to correctly predict the winner of every singles match in either the men’s or women’s draw. That means accurately forecasting the outcome of 127 matches without a single mistake.
The competition is run in partnership with cryptocurrency platform Nexo, and each participant is limited to one entry per draw. If no one manages a perfect bracket, the top scoring entries in the men’s and women’s competitions will instead receive $10,000 each.
How organisers justify the challenge
Tennis Australia has pushed back against claims that the contest relies purely on luck. Cedric Cornelis, the organisation’s Chief Commercial Officer, described the bracket as a test of expertise rather than chance.
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“This is a game of skill, not chance,” Cornelis said. He added that the initiative was designed to reward tennis knowledge while giving fans another way to engage with the tournament.
The challenge will be open only to Australian residents in 2026, though organisers have indicated that international versions could be considered in the future.
Fans question the realism
Reaction from fans has been swift and largely critical. Several online comments highlighted the unpredictability of injuries, form swings and five set matches across a two week Grand Slam.
One fan wrote that predicting every result was “simply not possible,” arguing that the tournament would gain engagement without realistically paying out the headline prize. Another dismissed the promotion entirely, saying no amount of money would make a perfect bracket achievable.
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Others predicted that most entries would be eliminated within the opening rounds, turning the challenge into a brief novelty rather than a meaningful contest.
Commercial ties under scrutiny
The criticism has extended beyond the difficulty of the task itself. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg voiced discomfort with the tournament’s commercial partner, writing on X that he did not support Tennis Australia promoting an effectively unwinnable prize alongside a cryptocurrency company.
At the same time, some fans defended the initiative, pointing out that bracket predictions have long been part of sports culture and are often made without any financial incentive at all.
According to the Daily Mail, the promotion has also prompted calls for scrutiny from gambling regulators in Victoria, while others see it as another example of Australia’s broader comfort with high risk sporting promotions. Tennis Australia and Nexo were contacted for comment.
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Sources: Daily Mail
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