Home Hill’s Adam Walton

Awarded Australian Open Wildcard

Burdekin native Adam Walton will make his grand slam main-draw debut as one of six Australian tennis players to be awarded the coveted main-draw singles wildcards for the 2024 Australian Open.

The 24-year-old, now based in Brisbane, started playing tennis in Home Hill aged 5 alongside his older brother, Jack, where weekends were filled with sport and travel.

“We played a lot of different sports in the Burdekin,” Adam said.

“I remember the Home Hill courts very fondly – inside the race track is a pretty cool set up for a tennis centre.

“Me and him would play down there with a lot of other young kids and we progressed.”

Coached by Arron Klumpp, Adam and his brother would travel anywhere from Mackay to Cairns on the weekends to compete in tournaments and develop their skills.

Taking every opportunity to further their young tennis careers, the brothers both received and accepted tennis scholarships to attend Brisbane school Churchie where they completed their final three years of schooling.

After finishing school, Adam pursued the US college pathway, attending the University of Tennessee and playing college tennis in America for five years before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and playing tennis professionally since August last year.

“I loved college tennis,” Adam reflected.

“It was definitely the right decision for me.

“I matured quite late physically and mentally, so I felt those years I got under my belt in college were really beneficial for my tennis and to grow stronger.

“Graduating last year, I was definitely in a better position to compete against the pros.

“In almost a year and a half, I’ve managed to climb the ranks a fair way.”

In his first full season on the ATP Challenger Tour, Adam won his first career tour title in August, winning the Atlantic Tire Championships I in Cary, North Carolina.

He also received a men’s qualifying singles wildcard in the 2023 Australian Open where he defeated 14th seed Pablo Andujar, a former world number 32, in his opening match.

“I played qualifying this year and that was eye-opening and as the year’s gone on, I believe I can match it with some of the best players,” he said.

Adam has since returned to Brisbane and is ranked at 178 ahead of next year’s grand slam.

Taking the next step into the main-draw, Adam is appreciative of the opportunity and acknowledges his current form and current rank.

“To receive that wildcard, I was extremely grateful,” he said.

“They only select five in the whole country so not many people get the opportunity, and I just can’t wait to showcase what I can do in January.

“This was my first year at it because I went down the college system, so I’d never had a main draw opportunity before, and my results were up there to be in the conversation.”

Adam is currently in the middle of preseason training in Brisbane which he said has been “pretty tough”.

“We’re doing a lot of hours on court, a lot of conditioning, a lot of gym and they’re big weeks,” he said.

“You’re trying to prepare yourself for the possibility of having to play five sets and repeat it.”

Adam was one of six Australian players to be awarded main-draw singles wildcards for the Australian Open, joining James Duckworth and Marc Polmans in the men’s singles draw while Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki and Taylah Preston will compete in the women’s singles competition.

He will also take part in the Australian Open Series tournaments leading into the grand slam.

The Australian Open will take place in Melbourne from January 14-28.

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Adam Walton won his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Cary, North Carolina. Photo credit: Alexis Galloway

Adam played tennis at the University of Tennessee for five years before returning to the Austrlaian tour. Photo supplied: Tennessee Athletics