Melbourne Park transformed into a sea of tennis enthusiasm on Sunday as the 2026 Australian Open delivered a spectacular opening day, with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz beginning his quest to complete the Career Grand Slam and attendance figures shattering all previous records.

The Spanish superstar dispatched Australian wildcard Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2 in the night session on Rod Laver Arena, advancing to the second round where he will face Germany's Yannick Hanfmann. The victory marked Alcaraz's fifth consecutive first-round advancement at the Australian Open and the first step in what could be a historic fortnight.

Alcaraz, who ended his seven-year partnership with former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December, is targeting tennis immortality. Should he triumph in Melbourne, the 22-year-old would become just the sixth man in the Open Era to capture all four major titles, joining an elite club that includes Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He would also become the youngest player ever to achieve the feat.

The two-hour, 13-minute encounter saw Alcaraz produce 38 winners while demonstrating the fighting spirit that has defined his meteoric rise. After racing through the opening set, he found himself trailing 1-3 in the second before storming back to claim the tiebreak 7-2. The third set was a masterclass in ruthless efficiency as the Spaniard closed out the match in commanding fashion.

Walton, ranked 60th in the world and playing in front of his home crowd, gave a spirited performance and troubled Alcaraz with deep groundstrokes at various points. However, the gap in quality ultimately proved too wide to bridge.

The match unfolded before a star-studded audience that included tennis legends Rod Laver and Roger Federer, who had earlier participated in a Fast4 exhibition doubles match alongside Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and Andre Agassi as part of the tournament's first-ever opening ceremony.

Melbourne Park's attendance figures told a remarkable story of their own. A staggering 100,763 fans passed through the gates throughout the day, with the day session alone attracting 73,235 spectators. This figure obliterated the previous all-time record of 68,883 set in 2019 and surpassed the previous first Sunday record of 58,623 from 2024. The extraordinary turnout even forced tournament organizers to temporarily halt ground pass sales earlier in the day.

The record-breaking crowds also witnessed top women's seed Aryna Sabalenka navigate her opening-round challenge as part of a packed schedule. The belarusian is pursuing her third consecutive Australian Open title.

As Day 2 unfolds, the spotlight shifts to defending champion Jannik Sinner, who is chasing an unprecedented third straight Melbourne triumph, and ten-time champion Novak Djokovic, who will face Spain's Pedro Martinez in his opener. The Serbian legend, recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to skip the ATP Finals, remains a formidable threat despite limited preparation.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek also takes center court on Monday, continuing her pursuit of the Australian Open title that remains the one major missing from her collection. American sensation Coco Gauff, who recently defeated Swiatek four consecutive times in straight sets, opens against Kamilla Rakhimova with growing confidence and a genuine belief she can finally break through in Melbourne.

With prize money rising 16 percent to a tournament-record A$111.5 million, the stakes have never been higher at the season's first Grand Slam.