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World number one Carlos Alcaraz kick-started his bid for a career Grand Slam with a battling three-set beating of home hope Adam Walton at the Australian Open on Sunday.
The Spanish superstar won 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena, blasting eight aces and 38 winners to set up a second-round clash with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann. But he also made 36 unforced errors, more than his 81st-ranked opponent, in his first competitive clash for nine weeks.
“First of all, I’m just really, really happy to step on the court once again for the first time this season,” he said, having only played a light-hearted exhibition against great rival Jannik Sinner in the lead-up.
“It was a good match,” he added. “I think Adam pulled out some great shots, great level in the match, so I had to stay there too.
Top seed Alcaraz already has six major titles aged 22, but success on the Melbourne Park hard courts remains a glaring hole in his resume.
He has not made it past the quarter-finals in four trips to Australia, losing at that stage last year to Novak Djokovic and the year before to Alexander Zverev.
Should he snap his Australia drought, Alcaraz would become the youngest man to bank a career Grand Slam, surpassing retired compatriot Rafael Nadal, who secured all four majors by the age of 24. He would also be the youngest man in the Open era to win seven Grand Slams since Bjorn Borg, aged 23.
The writing was on the wall for Walton, with Alcaraz never losing in the first round of a Slam, but the 26-year-old gave him a thorough examination.
