Rafael Nadal, the No. 2-ranked men's player in ESPN's Tennis ATP Rankings, reflected on a loss to 27-year-old Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open.
“It's a tough moment. It's a tough day,” Nadal said. “I can't say that I am not destroyed mentally at this moment, because I would be lying.”
McDonald won in three sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, after Rafael Nadal injured his left hip. The Spaniard “pulled up awkwardly” in the second set after an earned point, according to a Wednesday article from the Associated Press. Nadal said the hip had been bothering him for a few days, but it never got as bad as it became on Wednesday.
MacKenzie McDonald made sure to pay his respects to the two-time winner of the Australian Open.
“‘It's never over until it's over' type thing,” McDonald said following the upset victory. “He didn't even want to roll over and quit. He kept fighting until basically the end, even though he maybe didn't have all his game.
“I was in the locker room, and I was like, `Hey, that's actually really big for me, because I haven't beaten someone of that caliber.”'
It would be Rafael Nadal's quickest elimination from the Australian Open since he was knocked out of the first round by Fernando Verdasco in 2016 in five sets. Nadal had reached at least the quarterfinals every year of the open every year until his loss to McDonald.
The Australian Open was highlighted by another upset win by No. 66-ranked Andy Murray over No. 13 ranked Matteo Berrettini in five sets, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (10-6).
“Thanks to everyone for all the kind messages,” Murray said on Twitter. “We left it all out there. Hope you enjoyed the show.”
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