AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2026

Adam Walton

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Walton

6-3, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Adam, tough match today. Could you please walk us through your thoughts on the match.

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, no, it was a tough match. I thought, you know, there was a lot of good stuff in the match. He's obviously the elite of the elite of our sport, so I tried to match his level.

I thought I did a decent job and at times in the match. You know that second set got pretty close. If I could have won that breaker and get it to a set-all, it's obviously a different match.

I thought, like, these players are very good once they get ahead in the score, they're able to relax a lot more. Yeah, credit to him. I thought it was a good match all round.

Q. Adam, what is it like facing Alcaraz compared to the other professionals you faced week in, week out?

ADAM WALTON: It is different. I don't get that exposure each week obviously. I think that they each have their own strengths. But for Alcaraz I think he, like, moves a bit different to the rest of the guys on the tour. He has, you know, that extra venom on the short balls and on the balls that sit up a little bit more.

Anytime he can get set on a forehand, he hits it at a different speed that I'm not used to. Yeah, obviously, I don't get that exposure week in, week out.

It's just really cool to have shared the court on Rod Laver with him tonight.

Q. How do you self-assess after a game like that? You played great tennis that beats a lot of people at this tournament at the level you're playing about, yet you're out in straight sets. How do you reflect on that? Can you take positives out of the fact that you were able to match him, as you said, the second set?

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, there's a lot of positives I can take from tonight. I just think, yeah, when the draw comes out, you have to play the other person on the other side of the net.

Yeah, playing Carlos, it was a great moment to be able to share the court with him. Like I said, I played pretty well. I thought I served well. Yeah, I guess he was a little bit better at some moments than I was. Yeah, ultimately, yeah, it's unfortunate I couldn't get over the line.

Again, unreal to share the court with him.

Q. There's a lot of water under the bridge but potentially Alex de Minaur meets Carlos in the quarters as well.

ADAM WALTON: Okay.

Q. There's talks about Alex's weapons, et cetera. How do you think he'd fair in a heads-up match against Carlos?

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, I'd love to see it. I hope that Alex can make the quarters and Carlos makes the quarters because I think that would be a great match to view.

Yeah, I mean Alex has got some weapons that I probably don't have. It will be a different match than the one I played tonight. You know I'm sure Alex's played Carlos a few times and would approach the match a little differently than how I would approach the match, just given we have different strengths and weaknesses.

Yeah, I believe that whoever is playing good tennis can win. It will be a close match.

Q. Carlos gave you a fair bit of praise. He said watching on video he thought you didn't move all that well, but on court couldn't find good spots to hit to the ball to. Do you take a bit from getting praise from Carlos? Do you hope it gives a springboard for this season?

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, that's nice of him to say that.

Yeah, I played Carlos at Queen's, and ever since that moment he probably didn't know who I was. And after that, the tournaments we've played the same events, Cincinnati, New York, he's always been friendly in the locker room and always kept up with my tennis.

Yeah, for him to compliment me at all is just, yeah, it's special obviously.

Q. Do you think it's going to springboard this season, give you a chance to move up the rankings?

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, hopefully I can keep progressing in my tennis. I just try hard each and every week. I was able to have a pretty good 2025. It's a long season. I'm ready to get stuck in into 2026.

Yeah, hopefully I can keep climbing the rankings, but that's just the ranking part is one aspect. But I just want to keep trying to improve in my tennis because I feel if I improve the ranking will improve.

Q. Speaking about sharing the court from Carlos. But to go from Home Hill to Rod Laver Arena tonight as well, did you walk out and pinch yourself a little bit?

ADAM WALTON: Yeah, it was a special moment to be able to walk out on that court. I don't know. Hopefully I get to do it again. You know, I will cherish that moment to be able to walk out on Rod Laver.

It's been, yeah, I guess a dream. You know, when I decided to start playing professional tennis after college, to be able to play on a big court against a big player, and especially at home to play on Rod Laver, I think that's a moment I will never forget.