Overview
- Smith, a 29-year-old Sydney-based coach who qualified via New South Wales preliminaries, upset world No. 2 Jannik Sinner and then beat Taiwan’s Joanna Garland to claim the AU$1,000,000 prize.
- Every match was decided by one point, with the initial server chosen by rock-paper-scissors; amateurs received two serves while professionals had only one.
- The exhibition at Rod Laver Arena featured ATP and WTA names such as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios.
- High-profile exits underscored the format’s volatility as Sinner double-faulted against Smith, Alcaraz lost to Maria Sakkari, Medvedev fell to Amanda Anisimova and Kyrgios went out to Garland after smashing a racket.
- Garland’s path to the final included wins over Zverev, Kyrgios, Sakkari and Donna Vekić, and the crowd-pleasing event was widely described as a success despite no confirmed future editions.