Australian Open 2026 results: Carlos Alcaraz beats Adam Walton in straight sets in first round

Detailing his pre-season daily routine, he added: “I would train all morning, starting at 09:00 and finishing at 14:00, even 15:00. The whole morning is spent training physically and on the field.

“After that, I took almost every afternoon off to do whatever I wanted: staying with family or friends, playing board games, hanging out at home.

“Staying at home with the people you love is a better way to recharge your batteries.”

The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam in which Alcaraz has yet to reach the final; He showed his best performances in the quarter-finals in 2024 and 2025, but comfortably advanced to the second round against Walton.

Playing in his first Grand Slam match since leaving long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz had to wait until the eighth game of the opening set to convert a break point and was also broken on serve in the second set, but he quickly recovered by breaking his own serve and proved very strong in the crucial moments, winning 7-2 in the second set tiebreak.

However, his 38 wins were almost matched by his 36 unforced errors, converting only four of his 10 break points; Statistics he will be keen to improve on in his second round clash with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.

“It was hard to find the sweet spot [against Walton]”Added Alcaraz. “He was one step ahead of me. He was always in a good position, solid in long rallies and from the starting point. His straight ball was really difficult for me sometimes.

“It was a really solid game, and when he was able to go out there and play aggressively, he did that, and that made it really tough.”