Adam Walton’s phone has been busy over the past day after the 27-year-old Australian achieved a major upset at the French Open by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the opening round. It marked only his fourth grand slam win, his first against a top-10 player, and his strongest result by ranking. “It’s been pretty crazy,” Walton said to Guardian Australia from a media area at Roland Garros, one day after his five-set win over the former world number one. “There was a lot of media around the match and a lot of messages. It’s great to see them all, everyone reaching out. I haven’t had a chance to respond to all of them as I’m obviously still in the tournament, just trying to stay as locked in as possible.” Many messages likely came from Home Hill, the small town in Queensland where Walton was born and raised. With around 3,000 residents, it lies 100km south of Townsville and 1,250km from Brisbane. Although he relocated to Brisbane at age 14, Walton spent his early years in Home Hill, starting tennis lessons at five alongside his brother Jack in an unusual setting. “The tennis courts are inside a racetrack,” Walton said, noting occasional practical challenges. “In the mornings before our lessons, we would have to wait for the horses to be on the other side of the racetrack before you could open the gate, drive through, and close the gate, so they wouldn’t get spooked. It’s something unique to Home Hill tennis. It’s great.” A keen sports enthusiast who also played cricket, swimming and rugby, Walton said he was never skilled enough in those to pursue them professionally. A tennis fan, he followed the achievements of fellow Queenslanders such as Nick Kyrgios, who was already prominent during Walton’s junior years. “Nick’s only a few years older but we’d watch him on the television,” he said. “He was always exciting to watch [especially] way back in my earlier days, when he was at his peak, he was obviously doing great things in the sport. There’s been a few Aussies, like Lleyton [Hewitt] and Ash Barty, most recently, who have done really well from Queensland that I’ve looked up to.” Walton attended boarding school in Brisbane on a scholarship at 14 and later studied at the University of Tennessee. He progressed steadily, earning a kinesiology degree and a strong college record that included the 2021 NCAA doubles title. “I’m a bit of a late bloomer,” he said. “I was never a good junior, never played any of the junior slams or did any European junior trips or any of that. Had I not gone to college, I don’t think I would have been able to continue with my tennis.” Walton entered the top 100 in 2024 and has remained near that level. After beating Medvedev, he stated his immediate goal is to qualify for the main draw of every grand slam. Of the more than US$2m he has earned in his career, nearly half has come from the four majors. “I could be wrong, I haven’t looked at the numbers, but I’m going to say most players around my ranking and sort of stature would have similar numbers,” he said. “That’s a good chunk, 50% coming from just four tournaments within the year. Grand slams pay significantly more than the rest of the other tournaments. We all want to do well at the slams because that’s where all the money and points are. For me, being able to be in the main draw in the last couple of years in the grand slams has been great financially.” Reaching the second round at the French Open secures Walton €130,000 (A$212,000), allowing greater investment in his career, travel planning and coaching costs. It will also assist with expenses for his November wedding to fiancée Rachel. On Thursday in Paris, Walton faces American Zachary Svajda, a practice partner this week whom he knows from prior ITF matches, having lost two of three encounters. “It’s going to be new for both of us,” he said. “It’s a wonderful chance for both of us. It’s going to be an exciting match. We both know what’s up, what’s at stake.”
