Defending champion Rafael Nadal CRASHES out of Australia Open 2023, loses to Mackenzie McDonald

Defending champion and No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open 2023 after a straight sets loss to unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4,7-5 at Melbourne Park on Wednesday (January 18). Nadal appeared to have injured himself midway through the second set but decided to play on before bowing out in straight sets.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion appeared in obvious pain in the final set of his second round match and failed to mount a comeback. It was McDonald’s first win over a Top 5-ranked player in a Grand Slam.

After the 27-year-old American regained his break advantage for 4-3 in the second set, Nadal appeared to pull up gingerly in the next game when moving to his forehand side. He barely reacted to McDonald’s last two serves as the former NCAA champion consolidated his break, before calling for the trainer.

In the second set, Nadal, who was in obvious pain from his left hip, left for an off-court medical timeout. Although he valiantly tried to battle on, Nadal lost the second set soon enough to go down 2 sets to love to McDonald.

It was not immediately clear what was bothering the 35-year-old Spaniard, but he pulled up awkwardly at the end of a point late in the second set against the 65th-ranked McDonald. The No. 1-seeded Nadal was visited by a trainer on the sideline, then left the court for a medical timeout. Up in the stands, his wife wiped away tears. Nadal returned to play, but was physically compromised and not his usual chase-every-ball self.

This is Nadal’s earliest exit at any Grand Slam tournament since bowing out in the first round in Melbourne in 2016 against No. 45 Fernando Verdasco. That also made Verdasco the lowest-ranked player to defeat Nadal in Australia — until, of course, McDonald on Wednesday.

Always a pleasure, @RafaelNadal _#AusOpen _ #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/CdnOMzYDK0 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2023

McDonald is a 27-year-old American who won NCAA championships in singles and doubles for UCLA in 2016. He has never been past the fourth round at a major tournament. In his lone previous matchup against Nadal, at the 2020 French Open, McDonald won a total of just four games in his lopsided loss.

Nadal won the Australian Open for the second time a year ago for his 21st major championship, then raised his total to 22 — the most for a man — at Roland Garros. He is currently ranked No. 2 but was the top seed at Melbourne Park because No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is sitting out the Australian Open with a bad leg.

(with PTI inputs)