For Adam Walton, the 2025 season proved career-defining thanks to breakout moments on tour, fearless form and a stunning upset against a top-name player, propelling him to world No.78 and the nation’s No.3 man.
At a glance, the Queenslander recorded 36 match wins in 2025 – 13 of which were at an ATP level – secured another Challenger title and competed in the main draw of all four Grand Slams in men’s singles, as well as the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon in men’s doubles.
He began his season qualifying for the main draw of Australian Open 2025, where he faced a challenging first round against Frenchman Quentin Halys. If anything, the narrow loss spurred Walton on, who followed up his Australian Open appearance with a scorching performance at the Brisbane 2 Challenger. As the No.1 seed, he defeated Jason Kubler in the final to claim his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy.
In another career-defining triumph, Walton broke through to the semifinal at the Los Cabos Open in July after overcoming fellow Australian James Duckworth in the quarterfinal. While he fell to then-world No.33 Denis Shapovalov in the semifinal, the performance marked a significant milestone: his first ATP-level semifinal and his strongest ATP Tour run yet.
At the Cincinnati Masters, Walton snagged worldwide attention when he bounced back from a set down start to defeat former No.1 Daniil Medvedev in a 6-7(0) 6-4 6-1 upset. Walton stunned both his opponent and the crowd by the end of the thrilling two-and-a-half-hour match. It was the biggest win in his career and one of the most notable moments in the 26-year-old’s tennis journey.
READ: Walton stuns Medvedev to reach Cincinnati third round
After a season of great strides, Walton has earned his first Newcombe Medal nomination. “I’m really honoured to be nominated alongside so many great players – it's been an awesome year and I’m so grateful for all the support from my coaches, family and Tennis Australia,” Walton said.
Newcombe Medal history
In response to a breakout year on tour and a season serving career milestones, Walton has received his first Newcombe Medal Award nomination.
The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards will be held on Monday 8 December at Melbourne's Palladium Ballroom.
Follow along on Tennis Australia's social channels as the evening unfolds using the hashtag #Newks25.
Find out more about the awards, including award categories and previous recipients.