Record Crowd witnesses Alcaraz begin historic career Slam quest with opening win
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz overcame first-match rust and the absence of longtime mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero to defeat local hope Adam Walton in straight sets (6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-2), headlining a day that saw an unprecedented 73,235 fans flood Melbourne Park on Sunday. He’ll play German Yannick Hanfmann in the next round.
Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2026 | © Dita Alangkara/AP/SIPA
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz overcame first-match rust and the absence of longtime mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero to defeat local hope Adam Walton in straight sets, headlining a day that saw an unprecedented 73,235 fans flood Melbourne Park.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz made a successful, if occasionally frustrated, start to his 2026 Australian Open campaign on Sunday, defeating Australian Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2. Closing out the first day of action on Rod Laver Arena, the Spaniard secured his place in the second round for the fifth time in his career.
The victory marks Alcaraz’s first official win of the 2026 season, having only prepared with a high-profile exhibition match against Jannik Sinner in Seoul earlier this month.
The match carried significant weight as it marked Alcaraz’s first professional outing without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his corner, following the pair’s surprise split in December. Now led by coach Samuel Lopez, Alcaraz appeared sharp in the opening set but showed visible signs of irritation in the second, trailing 1-3 and becoming uncharacteristically vocal toward his player box.
Alcaraz- HanfmanN next
However, the top seed steadied his game to dominate the tiebreak and eventually the match, keeping alive his bid to become the youngest man in history to achieve the Career Grand Slam.
The atmosphere in Melbourne was equally historic. Tournament organizers announced a record-breaking day session attendance of 73,235, shattering the previous all-time record of 68,883 set in 2019 and the “First Sunday” record of 58,623 set in 2024. The surge in crowd numbers even forced a temporary halt to ground pass sales earlier in the day.
Reflecting on his life away from the intensity of the tour during the pre-season during the post-match interview, Alcaraz shared a glimpse into his routine: “I just like to stay at home. I practice the whole morning, probably start at 9 and finish at 2:30… sometimes at 3. The whole morning is about the workout, physically and on the court as well. The afternoon I take almost every afternoon off to do whatever I want. Just stay with the family, stay with some friends. Playing board games. Chilling at home. For me, there isn’t a better way to recharge the batteries.”
Alcaraz will face Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in the second round on Tuesday.
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