It’s impossible to bottle the tension of a Grand Slam match point, but Wednesday night’s AO 1 Point Slam came mighty close.
Castle Hill (NSW) Tennis Club’s Jordan Smith survived the gauntlet of pressure and did what no player had managed at Rod Laver Arena in two years, advancing past Jannik Sinner on the way to claiming the $1 million grand prize.
“I can’t speak. It’s unbelievable,” Smith said after the win, saying he’d invest the money in a house with his girlfriend.
In the second iteration of the event, amateurs, wildcards and stars contested a knockout draw with every match decided by a single point.
By night’s end, fans left feeling like they had just come out of a sports movie, a fever dream and a title match all in one.
Rock, paper, scissors duels, battles of the sexes, Davids facing off against Goliaths and moments that made even Marat Safin and Nick Kyrgios nervous … the tension on court came for everyone.
“It feels a little like I’m playing a Grand Slam final right now,” said world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, whose drop shot failed him at a crucial moment in the third round against WTA No.52 Maria Sakkari.
“You cannot imagine my heartbeat right now – I reckon it’s about 200 bpm!” said Sinner, who found the net on his first and only serve against the eventual champion.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous in my life!” said Frances Tiafoe, who also bowed out after a wayward serve, only for Coco Gauff to suffer the same fate.
“Great event! ... I said when it started I hoped an amateur won!! Congrats Jordan,” Gauff posted.
Accustomed to their calm and collected demeanour, some of the sport’s biggest names took to the court like deer caught in headlights, while others watched from afar with awe.
“Now that I’m actually watching it on TV, massive L from me to not be playing the One Point Slam, this looks like so much fun,” said world No. 9 Taylor Fritz.
In one thrilling moment, WTA world No.2 Iga Swiatek and ATP No.22 Flavio Cobolli engaged in a heated rally, with the Polish star unleashing a devastating forehand that the Italian could not return, sending the crowd to their feet.
Other stars on the night included Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.
But it was Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland who emerged as the night’s MVP, going for broke against AO finalist Alexander Zverev before advancing past Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sakkari and Donna Vekic to set up a final against Smith. The WTA’s No. 117 consistently chose to serve, but stumbled at the last hurdle when an errant backhand sailed wide.
“There are three winners. One is tennis, the others are me and Jordan,” said Garland, who had qualified for the event and quickly became a favourite amongst the sold-out Rod Laver Arena crowd.
In addition to his life-changing prize money, Smith earned $50,000 for his local tennis club. The NSW native also faced off against the second-last amateur standing, Queensland’s Alex Reverente, for KIA’s new EV3, falling short in what was one of many edge-of-your-seat points of the night.
The night’s wildcards included an eclectic mix of celebrities, from Australian football star Bailey Smith and Melbourne Cup winner Damien Oliver to singer-songwriter Jay Chou, Twitch streamer Loserfruit, and television presenters Karl Stefanovic and Andy Lee.
Lee and Stefanovic benefited from a few nervous mishits, while Smith admitted he was overwhelmed by the tension on the court compared with the football field.
“This is scary, I don’t know how they do it!” he said.
Australia’s Omar Jasika won the first edition of the competition last year, defeating Priscilla Hon in the final. Those in attendance could see the format had potential, and in 2026 that promise was realised.
With Jordan Smith’s fairytale triumph, the 1 Point Slam is still young, but it is already carving out its place as a unique and exciting part of Australian Open opening week.