Adam Walton and Kimberly Birrell might have been knocked out of Roland Garros, but they both are looking on the bright side of their groundbreaking campaigns.
The Queenslanders will continue to ride the highs of their top-10 triumphs as they tackle the second half of the season.
For Walton, facing a familiar opponent in Daniil Medvedev in the first round boosted his confidence, having beaten the former world No.1 at the Cincinnati Masters last August.
Defeating someone of Medvedev’s calibre on the Grand Slam stage gave the 27-year-old added belief that he belongs among the game’s elite.
> READ: Walton secures mammoth upset over Medvedev
“For sure [this win gives me confidence]. Everyone at this level is good. The win two days ago gives me a lot of belief, but at the same time, I’ve lost to guys this year at 800, 900 in the world,” said Walton, who recorded his maiden top-10 win against Medvedev.
“There are so many good tennis players out there and I feel like the margins are small, especially once you reach the higher levels. You just can’t take any match for granted.”
While exiting Roland Garros at the same stage as last year, following a first-round victory that went the distance, Walton felt he was more prepared this time around for his second-round match.
“I thought I was much better today physically than 12 months ago when I played Rublev after five sets in my first round,” he said.
> MORE: Adam Walton "It's a pretty special story"
Walton will take a different approach into the grasscourt swing, making a slight detour to Texas next week for a Challenger event.
“The previous two years I've played every week on grass. I've decided this year that I'm going to do things a little different, so that's why I made the decision to go play the Challenger in Texas next week,” he said.
“It's on hardcourt, my favourite surface, and then just going to take another week off. And then just play, hopefully, Queen's, Quallies, Mallorca and Wimbledon.
“That way I'll be very fresh for the American summer. It was just, yeah, it was a personal preference, that's why I've chosen that schedule. And time will tell whether it was a good [decision or not], but at least I'll be mentally fresh.”
Birrell will also benefit from her Roland Garros experience. In just her third main-draw match at the claycourt Slam, the 28-year-old stunned world No.5 Jessica Pegula, becoming the third Australian woman this century to defeat a top-five player at a Grand Slam.
> READ: Brilliant Birrell beats Pegula in major upset
Highlighted by her first-round triumph, Birrell believes that this campaign is a showcase of her ongoing improvement.
“I’ve got to keep my head up and keep moving forward and remember all the good parts of this week,” she said.
“I have been working really hard and I’m able to see some of those things come through in my match against Jess [Pegula] and even today at moments. I just had the courage to play a little bit differently and a little bit out of my comfort zone and was reaping the rewards of that."
After recording a statement victory against a top-ranked opponent, Birrell hopes she can channel that same form in future tournaments.
“I definitely want to keep that [win against Pegula] fresh in my mind and that was some of the best tennis that I’ve ever played,” she said.
“I definitely need and want to take confidence from that and just remind myself that I have that in me. I just need to be more consistent with that level now.”
You can watch Roland Garros on the channels of the Nine Network and Stan Sport.