MELBOURNE – Jordan Smith won one million Australian dollars (around USD 670,000), posed with the trophy in front of the cameras and ended up signing autographs inside Rod Laver Arena as the first champion of this Australian Open.
Who???
Jordan Smith, a tennis coach and amateur player from Sydney, won the 1 Point Slam, a new exhibition held ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season. The event brought together professionals, amateur players and a few celebrities in a single draw, with each match decided by just one point.
The coach, who reached the main draw after winning the New South Wales regional qualifier, finished ahead of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Nick Kyrgios, Daniil Medvedev, Jasmine Paolini and several other stars who took part.
Smith said he plans to buy a house with the prize money. “Or maybe half a house… prices in Sydney are insane,” he joked.
In front of 15,000 spectators at Rod Laver Arena, Smith produced the first major shock of the night by defeating Sinner in the third round. The Italian sealed his own exit by sending his serve into the net against the Australian amateur (professionals were allowed only one serve).
The final was against Taiwan’s Joanna Garland, world No. 117, who had knocked out Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev, Maria Sakkari and Donna Vekic on her way through the draw.
American Taylor Fritz wrote on X: “Now that I’m watching it on TV, it was a huge mistake not to play the One Point Slam — this looks like a lot of fun.”
Tennis Australia’s idea to spark excitement ahead of a new edition of the season’s first Grand Slam paid off, filling the stadium and producing an unexpected winner.
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