Many celebrities have showcased their athletic abilities, but only a select few officially competed against the pros. Earlier this week, Mandopop icon Jay Chou (周杰倫) surprised fans by announcing his participation in the upcoming Australian Open tennis tournament.
On 12th January 2026 (Monday), the Australian Open announced that Jay Chou will be participating in their 1 Point Slam event. The post reads, “From being the King of Mandarin Pop filling stadiums with his music to being ‘Kato’ from The Green Hornet and now shifting focus to being a dedicated tennis player – welcome @jaychou to the 1 Point Slam and #AusOpen”
The 1 Point Slam event is the tennis tournament’s signature warm-up event, where professional players, celebrities, and amateurs compete against each other to win the grand prize. This year, the prize money is a whopping AUD$ 1 million (approximately RM2.74 million). The pro players competing in the event include Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka.
Through his Instagram Stories, Jay Chou shared that he’ll donate all the prize money if he wins the competition. However, since it’s a one-point game, the singer also joked that he might get knocked out without even touching the ball. He even cheekily added that he prefers to serve the point so that he’ll at least get the chance to touch the ball.
Unfortunately, Jay Chou won’t get to choose as players use a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who serves. Nevertheless, fans and celebrity friends have expressed support for the star and wished him the best for the game. Basketball star Jeremy Lin also joked that since Jay Chou beat him in tennis, he can surely beat the other competition.
Jay Chou took up tennis in recent years because of his son’s interest in the sport, but has since earned a reputation among his peers for his skills. We also wish the star all the best in his match. May he emerge victorious – or at least get to touch the ball more than once.
Sources: Instagram, Taipei Times
