Amateur claims million-dollar prize in Australian Open exhibition upset

January 15, 2026 Oliver Obel

A local amateur walked away with one million Australian dollars after a high-risk exhibition event at Melbourne Park delivered one of the most unpredictable nights of the Australian Open build-up.

The competition, dubbed the One Point Slam, was staged on Wednesday inside Rod Laver Arena, just days before the start of the 2026 Australian Open. As reported by SPORTbible, the format reduced each match to a single deciding point, meaning every rally immediately determined who advanced.

The 48-player field combined 24 established professionals with Australian state champions, Melbourne-based qualifiers and wildcard entrants. Among the professionals were some of the sport’s biggest names, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

Format invites chaos

With no margin for error, the event produced results that would be unthinkable in a conventional tournament. One missed shot or double fault was enough to end a player’s night, creating an atmosphere closer to a shootout than a standard tennis match.

That volatility proved decisive for Jordan Smith, the New South Wales state champion, who emerged as the tournament’s unlikely winner. His run included a victory over Sinner, who lost his match after committing a double fault on the lone point.

Smith also eliminated Amanda Anisimova and Pedro Martinez in earlier rounds, advancing to the final without ever playing a traditional game or set.

Final decided in seconds

In the final, Smith faced Joanna Garland, currently ranked 117th on the WTA Tour. Garland had reached the title match after defeating Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios in her own one-point encounters.

After winning a pre-match game of rock, paper, scissors, Garland chose to serve. The final rally was brief: Smith returned the ball, Garland pushed a backhand wide, and the contest was over.

The Australian Open’s official social media account later highlighted the result, describing the victory as a rare amateur triumph on one of tennis’s biggest stages.

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/2011398821566091322

Playing the percentages

Speaking before the event, Smith explained that his approach was based on patience rather than power.

“My strategy is to basically be a brick wall,” he said. “I’ll just make a lot of balls and hopefully they miss. If someone’s going to beat me, they’re going to have to hit a lot of tennis balls.”

Asked afterward how he planned to use the prize money, Smith said housing was top of the list. “Partly buy a house,” he said. “In Sydney, they’re pretty expensive.”

Sources: SPORTbible, Australian Open social media