It's the end of the road for Rafael Nadal in the 2023 Australian Open after he shockingly got eliminated by MacKenzie MacDonald in the second round of the tournament Wednesday to the tune of a straight-set 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 loss.

It was an especially tough match to watch for Rafael Nadal supporters, as the Spaniard was playing hurt for the most part of the contest. Nadal suffered an upper leg injury while trying to go after a forehand in the second set. Rafael Nadal even needed a medical timeout to check on his ailing body.

Fans of the tennis superstar trooped to Twitter to share their reactions to the frustrating result of their heroes' loss at the hands of the 27-year-old American this early in the tournament.

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Rafael Nadal has won the Australian Open twice in his legendary career thus far. Even though he has also won a record 22 Grand Slam titles, Nadal had all the motivation in the world to win another this year. After all, he was the Australian Open men's singles tournament champion up until ran into McDonald. Prior to his Australian Open win in 2022, Nadal waited 13 years to reach the top of the tournament again since his first win there way back in 2009.

At 36 years old and with a body that has sustained countless injuries, Rafael Nadal's future in tennis will continue to be an intriguing topic.

McDonald, on the other hand, will prepare for the next round where he will face the winner of the Dalibor Svrcina-Yoshihito Nishioka showdown in the second round.