![Alcaraz: Strong Start at [Tournament Name] | The Basque Journal](https://s2.ppllstatics.com/rc/www/multimedia/2026/01/18/Clipboard-0062.png "Alcaraz: Strong Start at [Tournament Name] | The Basque Journal")
The post-Juan Carlos Ferrero era has begun. And he has done it with triumph. Comfortable, without too many problems, with some slight setbacks common to the debut … of the season, but with the main objective accomplished. Show that Carlos Alcaraz is in Melbourne to win the title and become the sixth man in history to complete the Grand Slam.
The first stone to join the club of Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has already been laid with the 6-3, 7-6 (2) and 6-2 victory against local Adam Walton.
It is strange to see Alcaraz’s box and not see Ferrero, but this is the new normality in the life of the Murcian, who now, when he looks at the bench, finds Samuel López and his brother Álvaro as his main supports. A context not very different from the first time he faced Walton, last summer at the Queen’s tournament. Because Ferrero wasn’t there either and the Australian was a complete stranger to Alcaraz, which is why the Murcian approached Jordan Thompson, also an ‘Aussie’, to ask him who Walton was.
A curious image that was not repeated on this first day of action in Melbourne. Alcaraz was already aware of Walton’s danger, which that day in London caused him a couple of headaches. The Australian had a couple of points to force a third set and did not take advantage of them, something similar to what happened at the Rod Laver Arena, when, after losing the first set on the fast track, Walton enjoyed a 1-3 and service so why not dream, at the very least, of tying the match against the Spaniard.
But Alcaraz woke up. It was not a strolling set, quite the opposite. Walton always took the initiative and always put pressure on the Spaniard’s serve, who, had he lost it at 4-5 or 5-6, would have said goodbye to the second set. It was a perfect pressure situation for the debut, necessary after not competing officially since the last ATP Finals in Turin and only having gained experience in exhibitions. In the tie break that decided the set, Walton’s errors buried him, a bad volley and a double fault condemned him to leaving 2-0 down in the third set. An impossible for a tennis player who, despite the support of the stands and having his entire family on the bench, struggles to stay in the ‘top 100’ after not winning two games in a row since August of last year.
Hanfmann, next rival
In the next round, Alcaraz will face Yannick Hanfmann, 101st in the ranking, who eliminated the American Zachary Svajda. Against the German he has two victories, one on the Challenger circuit, in the Seville Cup in 2019, and another in Beijing 2023.
«I am very happy to be able to return to the track for the first time this season. It couldn’t have been better. It was a great game, I felt very good. Adam has played very well. Overcoming these difficulties in the first round is good for me because it prepares me for what is to come,” said Alcaraz in the courtside interview with Jim Courier.
Alcaraz was the only Spaniard of the three who participated in this first day of the Australian Open to end his match with victory, after Cristina Bucsa lost against Elina Svitolina (6-4 and 6-1) and Guiomar Maristany against Polina Kudermetova (6-2 and 6-3).
