What is 'Bracket Challenge'? Australian Open rolls out $6.7 million contest for perfect match predictions

Tennis fans in Australia could win A$10 million (around $6.71 million) by correctly picking every match winner at the Australian Open, tournament organisers announced on Tuesday. The contest, known as the 'Bracket Challenge, asks fans to predict the results of all 127 matches in either the men’s or women’s singles draw. Entries must be submitted before the tournament starts on Sunday. The full prize will go to anyone who manages a perfect bracket, choosing the right winner in every round from the first match to the final.

Even if no one achieves a perfect bracket, consolation prizes will still be awarded, with the highest-scoring brackets in each draw earning A$10,000. The Australian Open will be held at Melbourne Park from January 18 to February 1, giving fans two weeks of top-level tennis and a chance to test their prediction skills.

Organisers say the challenge is meant to add excitement for fans, but they admit getting every prediction right is extremely hard because Grand Slam tennis is so unpredictable.


"This is a game of skill, not chance," Tennis Australia's Chief Commercial Officer Cedric Cornelis said in a statement.

"The AO Bracket Challenge is about rewarding tennis knowledge and creating an exciting new way for fans to engage with the tournament."


Participants must submit their full bracket predictions once the singles draws are released on Thursday. This year, the competition is open only to Australian residents.

According to the Australian Open’s official website, entrants must submit their full bracket predictions through the official AO website or app once the singles draws are released on January 15 at 4 PM AEDT.

Entries will close one hour before the first match begins on Sunday, January 18 at 10 AM AEDT. Each person is allowed only one entry per draw, either the men’s or the women’s competition.