Carlos Alcaraz is back – and in devastating form. The Spanish prodigy kicked off his Australian Open 2024 bid by overwhelming Adam Walton 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, sending a clear message to his rivals on the opening Monday of the slams.
The world No. 2, absent from the latter stages of 2023 due to injury, arrived in Melbourne brimming with confidence. Facing Walton – a qualifier who stunned higher seeds to sneak into the main draw – Alcaraz treated the match like a practice hit. From the outset, his footwork dazzled, covering the court with ease as he peppered the lines with ferocious groundstrokes.
Walton’s serve held up initially, but Alcaraz’s return game dismantled any hopes of an upset. A break in the first set opened the floodgates, and the Spaniard barely dropped a point on serve thereafter. Crowd support for the Aussie couldn’t mask the gulf in class, though Walton showed grit in saving set points.
Reflecting on the win, Alcaraz praised his opponent’s journey: ‘Qualifying three rounds here is massive. Adam deserved to be in the main draw.’ Now, attention turns to the second round against Griekspoor, a player Alcaraz has never faced. With the Big Three era fading, this could be Alcaraz’s tournament to dominate.
Statistically, Alcaraz fired 32 winners to Walton’s 12, converting 4 of 7 break points. His 85% first-serve points won underscored the efficiency. As other top seeds navigate tricky paths – think Sinner vs. De Jong – Alcaraz’s smooth passage bodes well for a deep run. Melbourne’s summer of tennis has its first blockbuster underway.