A new addition to the Australian Open’s Opening Week turned Rod Laver Arena into a high‑stakes environment. The Million Dollar 1 Point Slam shortened entire matches into a single point, pitting Grand Slam champions, including Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, and others, against one another for a seven‑figure prize.
With rock‑paper‑scissors deciding who served and no room for mistakes, the exhibition quickly delivered upsets and the kind of viral moments that the tennis community loves.
Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, and Others Face Major Upset at the Australian Open 1 Point Slam
Scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 14, the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam was billed as a winner‑takes‑all exhibition designed to set the tone at Melbourne Park before the main draw. 48 players took part, including 24 professionals alongside state champions and celebrity wildcards, all chasing the 1 million prize and a Kia EV3 on Rod Laver Arena.
A pre‑point game of rock‑paper‑scissors determined who would serve: amateurs received two serves, and professionals such as Sinner, Iga Świątek, and Gauff were restricted to one.
For WTA World No. 3, the format proved unforgiving. Under the one‑serve rule, she hit the net, handing World No. 70 Donna Vekić the match even before she needed to play a proper shot. Given her serve statistics over the past two seasons, the match was an uncomfortable way for Gauff’s night to end.
Coco Gauff’s serve is as good as ever 🤣 pic.twitter.com/McC5DGSGzz
— Corvath Draemir (@Archaicmind3000) January 14, 2026
However, she wasn’t alone in losing the match on serve, as Sinner, the two‑time defending Australian Open champion, also made the same mistake against New South Wales amateur Jordan Smith. Later in the evening, Frances Tiafoe, known for his explosive serves, single‑faulted in his showdown with Świątek.
When the Australian Open’s official Instagram account posted a reel of Sinner’s missed serve, she dropped a wry comment under the video: “I feel better about myself now 😂,” shifting the tone from pure shock to humor.
She then shared a post on X after both Sinner and Tiafoe had lost similarly, writing: “i feel better about missing my serve now that Jannick and Foe did 😭 #NotAlone.”
i feel better about missing my serve now that Jannick and Foe did 😭 #NotAlone
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) January 14, 2026
The Australian Open replied to Gauff’s tweet, adding the clips of all three players losing the match on their serve. For a top‑three player who had just lost to Vekić on a single mistake, seeing two fellow stars suffer the same fate clearly eased the pain.
Jordan Smith Bags the Million Dollar Prize Money
Smith, a 29‑year‑old New South Wales state champion, came through community qualifying to earn his place in the draw. Over the course of just six points, he defeated Aussie Rules star Bailey Smith, Brazilian pro Laura Pigossi, Sinner, World No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, Spain’s Pedro Martínez, and finally Taiwan’s Joanna Garland to lift the trophy.
His title brought the promised A$1 million payday and a new Kia car, while Garland’s own path to the final included back-to-back wins over Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios.
Jordan “Jordan Smith” Smith https://t.co/RLtfp8uViT pic.twitter.com/N1iFpi6iBK
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2026
Carlos Alcaraz, Świątek, Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger‑Aliassime, Jasmine Paolini, and Kyrgios all appeared in the 1 Point Slam, sharing the stage with state champions and celebrity entrants in front of a full Rod Laver Arena. The event sat alongside music acts, autograph stages, and other fan activities designed to keep Melbourne Park busy well before the main draw.
With the Australian Open set for Jan. 18, the one‑point exhibition worked as a practice session as well as an entertainment stage for the fans.
