Australia’s Adam Walton on tennis lessons next to horses and being a ‘late bloomer’

The 27-year-old is enjoying his moment in the sun at the French Open after a shock win over Daniil Medvedev but with an eye on more grand slam success

Adam Walton’s phone has hardly stopped pinging in the past 24 hours after the 27-year-old Australian produced a huge shock at the French Open with a stunning victory over Daniil Medvedev in the first round. It was just his fourth win at grand slam level, his first victory over a top 10 player and by far his best win in terms of ranking.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” Walton told Guardian Australia, sitting in a small area of the media centre at Roland Garros, a day on from his brilliant five-set victory over the former world No 1. “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.”