Overview
- New South Wales teaching pro and state champion Jordan Smith, a local qualifier, claimed the winner-take-all prize by defeating Joanna Garland in the final on Rod Laver Arena.
- The 48-player field combined ATP and WTA stars with state champions, celebrity wildcards and qualifiers, with 16 top names receiving byes into the second round.
- Serve selection came via rock-paper-scissors, professionals were restricted to one serve and amateurs received two, producing high-variance outcomes including Smith advancing after Jannik Sinner faulted.
- Coverage praised the tension and crowd engagement but noted awkward pacing, production hiccups and mostly poor-quality tennis during the single-point matches.
- Commentator Greg Rusedski lauded the life-changing moment for Smith and backed pre-tournament experiments, suggesting other Grand Slams could explore similar add-ons.