The Australian Open came to an electrifying end on Feb. 1, with Carlos Alcaraz winning in four sets for the final against Novak Djokovic, who showed he is still a top-tier player despite being almost 40. The semi-final matches were also riveting; Alcaraz won a five-and-a-half hour five-set match against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, with Alcaraz pulling through after suffering from cramps at the beginning of the third set. Djokovic went up against world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who was a favorite going into the tournament as he had won the last two years in a row. Despite his loss in the semifinal, Sinner will keep his No. 2 position since he has almost twice as many points in the rankings than the world No. 3, now Djokovic.

All in all, this year’s Australian Open was astounding, with many must-see games. And that’s not even mentioning the women's tournament, which saw an upset in the final with Elena Rybakina defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sablenka in three sets. However, this year the mad-lads down in Melbourne came up with a new event for the open to shake things up: the One Point Slam.

The rules of the One Point Slam are simple. Anyone can play, men or women, professional or amateur, as long as the player is 14 years or older. Whoever serves is decided by a coin flip, with pros being allowed only one serve while amateurs are allotted two. Most important of all, the entire match only consists of one point. There are no second chances, no losers’ bracket, no ifs, ands or buts. If you lose the point, you lose the match. If you win the match, you’re on to the next round.

This is the first new tournament to be introduced since the Association of Tennis Professionals finals was cemented in 2017, and it’s one of the first tournaments with a unique rule set in over 30 years. While this tournament might seem silly and more for fun than a genuine show of skill, there was still a prize: one million dollars, a huge incentive to compete.

Matches took place throughout one day, with over 20 matches played. Many pros fell in the tournament including Sinner, Zverev, Alcaraz and world No. 3 Coco Gauff. Sinner commented on how he felt after his first and only serve found the net, saying, “You cannot imagine my heartbeat right now — I reckon it’s about 200 bpm!” 

The final was between world No. 117 Joanna Garland and amateur player Jordan Smith. The tension in the air was palpable as Garland served for the match. Smith returned with a fantastic backhand and Garland’s return did not hold up. Her backhand landed about a foot out of bounds and for what was technically the first time ever, an amateur player won at the Australian Open. Smith was elated and all he could say was, “I can’t speak. It’s unbelievable.”