Born in the tiny rural town of Home Hill – population not quite 3000 – Adam Walton is some 1300 kilometres south of home as he launches his 2026 season at the Brisbane International.
But the Queensland capital has become an equally significant setting for the 26-year-old, who relocated to the city at age 14. Having followed older brother Jack into tennis, Walton was granted a scholarship to board at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar school, providing the ideal environment to complete his education while nurturing his talent.
“I've always done pre- seasons here and I train at this very site, so having tournaments here is really special,” said Walton as he prepared to face fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in Brisbane’s first round.
“This will be my second BI and yeah, it's great because a lot of friends and family can come watch and it's just such a nice way to start the season off at home … it’s perfect.”
Similarly perfect for the world No.78 was the ATP Challenger title he claimed at the Queensland Tennis Centre last February. Following a semifinal run at the Brisbane Challenger 1 the previous week, it provided a springboard as Walton constructed a career-best season in 2025.
“I saw the two Challengers in Brisbane and obviously we had them pencilled in [to the schedule] pretty early,” he explained. “When you get to stay at home for a couple more weeks … the year's very long [so] it makes you feel fresh going into the season.
“I felt like getting some wins early in the season really helped my progress.”
Walton soon added another title at that level in Busan, South Korea and claimed upset wins over Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati and Ugo Humbert at the US Open on his way to a peak world No.74 ranking.
“There were many highlights,” Walton reflected of 2025, which ended with a first-time nomination for the Newcombe Medal and celebrated his engagement to girlfriend Rachel as the couple holidayed in Puerto Rico in the off season.
“The biggest one on the tennis court was during the American summer. I felt I was playing good tennis and to beat Medvedev was great. I went in there believing that I can definitely match it with him. It was really hot and I felt him getting a little angry and even though I dropped the first set, I was able to hang tough and yeah, dig it out in three sets.”
Walton attributes the breakthroughs to “doing the small things well”, along with incremental boosts in confidence. The positive influence of past and present coaches, including Andrew Roberts and Mark Draper, is also clear.
“Winning is contagious but so is losing. You’ve just got to try to be on the right side of it,” he mused.
In his rise up the rankings, the Australian has placed his northern Queensland hometown firmly on the map. Walton’s unique first club if often a talking point, with Home Hill’s 12 tennis court located inside the Burdekin Racing Club.
“You actually had to wait for the horses to go by before you could open the gates and drive through, then you would have to close the gates again,” he recalled of his early start in the sport.
From that unusual beginning, Walton’s journey eventually took in the University of Tennessee, where he further honed his skill while gaining a degree in kinesiology.
“I took a chance and it was basically like doing boarding school again, but over in the States. I felt like I'd already made the move once and it was a very easy transition. I thought the culture was really good over there and all the teammates were pushing each other,” said Walton, explaining how he “grew as a player and a person” in the American college system.
“I didn't know whether the pro route was for me after college, but I just got a little bit better, climbed the collegiate rankings and then finished second behind [current top-10 American] Ben Shelton in my last year and yeah, the coach said, ‘you have to at least give it a go’."
He has done more than that. Now Australia’s No.3 man behind Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, Walton is one of seven Australians competing in Brisbane this week – a group he says thrives on shared momentum.
“We each push each other. We train with each other and, as I see all the Australians do really well, it pushes you to want to do well as well,” he related. “So I feel like Australian tennis has a great culture and we're all pretty close and it definitely helps push each other to new heights.”
After exiting to Frances Tiafoe in his 2025 opener, the Queenslander is armed with both renewed belief and a winning outlook as he targets further milestones at his home tournament. “Confidence can come in many ways, but definitely winning tennis matches is the easiest way to get it,” Walton smiled.