Carlos Alcaraz praised by former world No 1 after ‘symbolically’ important Australian Open victory
Carlos Alcaraz kickstarted his Australian Open campaign with a victory over Adam Walton on Sunday, and his win was important in more ways than one.
World No 1 Alcaraz needed just two hours and five minutes to begin his campaign in Melbourne, defeating home favourite Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2 inside the Rod Laver Arena.
After a comfortable opening set, Alcaraz wobbled slightly in the second set, falling a break down to the world No 81, though quickly turned the tables back in his favour to claim a fairly straightforward victory.
The Spaniard enters as the joint-heavy favourite for the Australian Open title alongside main rival and world No 2 Jannik Sinner, who is the two-time defending champion inside Melbourne Park.
The ‘New 2’ have split the last eight Grand Slam men’s singles titles between them, though it is not just an extension of that dominance that is at stake for Alcaraz this year.
Alcaraz could become just the sixth man in the Open Era, and the ninth man in tennis history, to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne, and he could also break Rafael Nadal’s record of being the youngest man to complete in the Open Era.
The 22-year-old is a two-time champion at the other three Grand Slam tournaments but enters the Australian Open with some questions, having never made it past the last eight at this event.
Adding more significance to Alcaraz’s campaign is the fact that this is his first official tournament without Juan Carlos Ferrero as his coach, the two having split suddenly last December.
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All eyes were on how the Spaniard fared against Walton and, after a largely impressive display, former world No 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Justine Henin was among those to deliver her verdict.
Speaking on Eurosport France, 2004 Australian Open champion Henin recognised just how “significant” Alcaraz’s victory was, considering the circumstances.
She said: “It was very convincing in the first set.
“It’s certainly not insignificant to secure a first victory in a first tournament without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his professional playing career, and even for those around him.
“It’s also the start of a Grand Slam, which is his main objective for the season. He still had to get past that first hurdle, which is undoubtedly quite significant symbolically on several levels, regardless of today’s victory.”
Though Alcaraz may not need too much recovery time after spending just over two hours on court, the extended round-one format in Melbourne means the Spaniard will not have to return to court until Wednesday.
Once again, he will be the heavy favourite for victory in his match, with the world No 1 set to do battle with world No 102 Yannick Hanfmann, most likely inside the Rod Laver.
Germany’s Hanfmann beat US qualifier Zachary Svajda in four sets to reach the second round of the Australian Open for just the second time, previously reaching this stage back in 2022.
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