Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne

Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his latest bid for a career Grand ‍Slam by dismantling unseeded Australian Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday (January 18, 2026), as the world number ‌one showcased the power and precision befitting a player chasing history.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, who can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once, gave a packed Rod Laver Arena an exhibition in shot-making that had fans either glued to their seats or rising in ovation.

“I’m really happy to step onto the court for the first time this season. I think it couldn’t be better than here at Rod Laver Arena. It ⁠was a good match, I felt great,” Alcaraz said.

“Adam (showed) a great level in the match, so I had to stay there. Overall, I’m happy with the level I played at today.

“It was difficult to find good ⁠spots (against him)... he was always in a good position, long rallies and solid from the baseline. His flat ball was sometimes really difficult for me.

“It was a really solid match, and when he was able ‌to step in on the court and play aggressively, he did, ‌and that made it really difficult in the match.”

A ferocious forehand helped Alcaraz to grab the first break for a ‍5-3 lead, and the six-times Grand Slam champion closed out the opening set on his retooled serve, which now bears more than a passing resemblance to ‍the delivery of Novak Djokovic.

That technical tweak followed Alcaraz’s abrupt split last month with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose steadying influence was missing when the Spaniard was dragged into a second-set tiebreak after a spell of loose, crowd-pleasing tennis.

A ruthless Alcaraz came out all guns blazing to double his advantage in the clash and then rode the momentum to ease through the third set, booking a second-round meeting with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.

In contrast with his title ⁠successes at the other Grand Slams, the 22-year-old has never been past the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.

“The last two years I’ve been playing really good tennis, but in the quarter-finals I lost to (Alexander) Zverev ⁠and (Novak) Djokovic,” the top seed told reporters.

“I think it’s unusual to play players (like that) in a quarter-final if you are (number) one or two in the world.

“But it isn’t an excuse. I just really want to perform better than I did in previous years. I’m just feeling this ⁠year... I will probably have the chance to go further.”

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