Jordan Smith has spent almost his entire life around tennis courts. From the moment he picked up a racquet at the age of three, the game became both his playground and his classroom. Three decades later, the 29-year-old NSW coach is preparing for one of the most tantalising opportunities of his tennis life: a single point on Rod Laver Arena, with one million dollars on the line and a Kia EV3 for the best-performing amateur.
Smith is the winner of the New South Wales AO 1 Point Slam final, earning his place in Melbourne’s Opening Week showcase that brings together professionals, celebrities and amateur qualifiers from across Australia. For Smith, it is a rare moment in the spotlight – one he dreamed of as an upcoming junior.
Tennis runs deep in the Smith family. His parents, Neil and Michelle, have operated the Castle Hill Academy in Sydney’s northwest for more than 30 years. Neil, a former touring professional who played college tennis in the United States, has coached all three of his sons. Michelle, a former teacher, runs the administration. Jordan’s two older brothers, Cameron and Blake, also coach at the academy.
“We all enjoy coaching and playing tennis,” Smith says. “That’s just how we grew up.”
Smith’s junior resume more than hinted at a future beyond suburban courts. He beat Cameron Norrie in the under-12s, won multiple national junior titles, and travelled overseas at 14, where he played a close match against a young Alexander Zverev. He is also a lifelong friend of Australian pro Jordan Thompson, having gone to school together at Oak Hill College.
After school, Smith spent a year playing college tennis at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, studying human physiology. Homesickness pulled him back to Australia after 12 months, and he soon transitioned into coaching while continuing to chase his own playing ambitions.
He competed professionally for several years, reaching a career-high singles ranking of 1,141 and doubles ranking of 748 in 2022–23. There were trips to North Africa and Asia on the Futures circuit, including extended stints in Tunisia, and the familiar grind of life on the lower rungs of the tour.
“It was hard having to fund yourself,” Smith says. “It’s really tough ups and downs, winning and losing matches. I felt like I couldn’t maintain that year after year. Plus, with injuries, it’s extremely hard.”
Still, he has no regrets. “I’m happy that I gave it a go,” he says. “I don’t regret anything.”
The AO 1 Point Slam wasn’t something Smith had circled on his calendar. He found out about it almost by chance, through Tim White at Tennis World Sydney Olympic Park – whose son Smith coaches.
“He told me about it, and I thought, yeah, why not?” Smith says. “I didn’t really know too much about it. I thought I’ll give it a go.”
The NSW State Final was held at Homebush. Smith entered with modest expectations and a familiar mindset. “I just sort of play one point at a time,” he says. “You don’t think too much about the prize because you can get your hopes up.”
That approach carried him through. Calm, consistent and level-headed – traits he considers his greatest strengths – Smith edged his way through the draw to emerge as the NSW champion.
“My strategy is to basically be a brick wall,” he says. “I’ll just make a lot of balls and hopefully they miss. If someone’s going to beat me, they’re going to have to hit a lot of tennis balls.”
Now comes Melbourne, a vastly different stage. The AO 1 Point Slam draw will feature 48 players: 24 professionals, eight celebrity wildcards, and 16 qualifiers. For Smith, the surreal nature of it is still sinking in.
“It’s going to be awesome,” he says. “Just really enjoy the experience.”
If he wins the toss, Smith knows what he’ll do. “I’d serve,” he says, quickly adding, “but it depends on who I’m playing.”
There are dream matchups, of course. “I love Alcaraz,” he says. “I do know Kyrgios a little bit, so that would be pretty cool as well — preferably not in the first round.”
Smith believes the amateurs may even have a slight edge. “We know their game styles,” he says. “They don’t really know us.”
Away from the fantasy of a million-dollar point, Smith’s life remains grounded. He coaches daily at Castle Hill, where the AO 1 Point Slam qualifying event was held. The $5,000 grant awarded to the club as part of his win will go back into equipment and facility support for the academy’s 10 synthetic-grass courts.
If he were to win the million? Smith laughs. “Partly buy a house,” he says. “In Sydney, they’re pretty expensive.”
For now, preparation is simple. He’ll play a tournament after Christmas – “I’ll be losing points there!” – and keep training. His girlfriend will travel with him to Melbourne.
But above all, Smith plans to stay true to the philosophy that got him there.
“Just take it one point at a time,” he says. “Enjoy it.”
And in a format where everything comes down to a single swing, that might be the most powerful strategy of all.
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