ALCARAZ: “The level he showed was a little unexpected for me”

Leader in ATP world rankings Carlos Alcaraz He held a press conference after defeating Adam Walton in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open:

– Carlos, congratulations on the successful start of the tournament. How would you evaluate today’s match? Frankly, the second set was tense, but in the end did you get through it without any losses?

– I can say that it was a difficult match for me. In the first set, everything was decided by a break. He made a few mistakes on his first serve. He also played very well, very reliably, and I think he was constantly trying to find a position to attack as much as possible.

In the second set, he started to find more space for aggressive play. In general, I played good tennis, but in one of the games I lost my concentration a little – mostly when I was fighting with myself, and after that everything became more difficult.

But overall I am satisfied. To be honest, I was ready for a serious battle. Although the level it showed was a bit of a surprise to me. I had to pull myself together and be ready for this battle. I’m happy with the first match of the season and the level I was able to show.

– Carlos, congratulations. What are you most pleased with today and what do you think needs to be improved to go far again in the tournament group?

“I think I hit the ball well.” Of course it could have been played better. But I’m glad I did everything I had to do. I acted correctly in terms of behavior and mental attitude on the field. I always had a good attitude, always tried to think positively. I think I did a good job with that and that was one of the main goals of this match.

In terms of tactics and the level of play in general, I understand that there are many aspects that need to be improved for the next round if I want to go further.

– Carlos, for many the quarter-finals are an excellent result, but you have not yet progressed further in this tournament. Do you have an explanation for why you performed less well than others at this Grand Slam?

– Yes, this is a little difficult for me to explain. It’s strange that I haven’t made it past the quarter-finals in Australia yet because I think I’m playing good tennis here. I played very well here for the last two years, but lost to Isner and Djokovic in the quarter-finals. If you are the first or second racket in the world, let’s say these are not the most ordinary opponents at this stage.

This is not an excuse, but I really want to do better than previous years. I have a feeling that this season I might have a chance to go further.