Martin Landaluce always imagined he’d eventually spend his birthday in Australia if his chosen career path materialised.
He just never expected a crowd on Court 8 at Melbourne Park to break into an impromptu singalong on Wednesday to kick off the celebrations on his first trip Down Under.
In fairness, the real celebrations began moments before the rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ sounded out when the now 19-year-old Spaniard held off Japan’s James Trotter 6-4 7-5 in the second round of Australian Open 2025 qualifying.
“Everyone was singing,” he laughed. “I live in Madrid, having my birthday there with my family is also good, but being here I have no problem. It’s amazing to win a match.
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“My dad and mum are here. I think it’s my first time winning a match on a birthday. The past years I was in Madrid resting and going to a party, and now I’m here in Australia playing matches.”
Landaluce’s first taste of competition in Australia came with a run to the Canberra Challenger semifinals last week before his AO qualifying campaign began.
Only three months ago, the 2022 US Open junior champion became the youngest Spanish Challenger title winner at Olbia, Italy since an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
The step up to a Grand Slam main draw stage will come next if he beats Czech Dalibor Svrcina on Thursday in Melbourne.
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Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, just two years older, was a formidable example to follow, he said.
“He's an amazing person, he's very natural. He can be doing interviews and then he sees you and he goes to say hello,” Landaluce added.
“He's very kind and on court he's a very good player. I want to play with him or practise at least more times with him, be together the maximum time possible.”
Though humble to a fault, there was no risk Landaluce was about to be starstruck trading blows with the brilliant Murciano, Alcaraz, in practice.
At age 14, he was already regarded as one of Spain’s top prospects, which brought him into his idol Rafael Nadal’s orbit.
It was at that age he first hit with Spain’s greatest at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy, Landaluce’s training base since 2020.
“It was on clay, I mean the King of Clay playing with a 14-year-old guy, it was amazing,” he said. “The balls were bouncing up to my head. It was very difficult, but I enjoyed it a lot and it was a great practice.
“Having them both [Alcaraz and Nadal] in Spain, you breathe that mentality, that effort of trying to play every ball like as if it was the last. They have the same values, and I think that's great for our country, for our sport.”
Before his rise as Spain’s leading 19-year-old tennis talent, the teenager often made a trip with his family to holiday in the Asturias region of Spain.
It was there he first tasted what quickly became his favourite dish – cachopo, which consists of two huge crumbed and fried veal steaks stuffed with ham and cheese and served with a side of fries.
“It's very big, but it tastes great,” Landaluce grinned. “It's from the north of Spain. It's amazing. I need to go there again to rest a bit and try it.”
Wednesday’s victory meant no chance of a hefty birthday cachopo or cake to celebrate in Melbourne, though.
“Birthday salad,” he said.
Earlier, Chilean former world No.17 Cristian Garin staged arguably his finest comeback since an injury-marred couple of years when he prevailed over former world No.27 Laslo Djere 6-4 1-6 7-5.
Twice in the final set the 28-year-old was forced to fight back from a break down – once as Djere served for the match – before he landed the knockout blow on his third successive break after two hours and 21 minutes.
“It's been a while without competing at this level, so I'm just really happy to be winning matches again,” Garin said.
“It's been a really tough time the last couple of months with injuries and trying to recover my level to be healthy also. It took more than I expected so I'm just so happy again to feel healthy on court.”
Before packed stands, heavily swathed with the red and blue of Chilean fans, Garin moved on to a final-round qualifying showdown with Bolivian 18th seed Hugo Dellien.
“It’s been extremely tough,” he said. “I never had injuries but since the last two years I’ve been having a lot and recovering and again injured.
“Mentally it's really tough but here we are trying again, improving with the years. I don't feel old, but I've been playing many years on tour. I've been learning so I'm taking more care of my body and enjoying the tournaments because as I was home for many months, I was missing this. It's nice to have it again.
“In Australia every year, I think this is my eighth year, and always the same support. It feels like home sometimes despite the hard court but the rest, the people, always come and support.”
Elsewhere, fellow South Americans, Brazilians Thiago Monteiro and 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, advanced to the final round.
Sixth seed Monteiro scored a 7-6(1) 6-3 win over Frenchman Valentin Royer, while Fonseca breezed past Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong 6-0 6-3.
Portugal’s Henrique Rocha halted Hungarian third seed Marton Fucsovics’ bid for a main-draw return, 6-2 7-6(3) and Frenchman Terence Atmane bundled out Italian second seed Mattia Bellucci 7-6(7) 6-4.