Nadal

Defending Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal has been bundled out of Australian Open 2023, the 22-time Grand Slam winner labouring with a left hip injury ...

The loss marked the first time Nadal has been knocked out of the second round of a major as the No. The 36-year-old defending champion sustained a left hip injury in the eighth game of the second set as he chased a forehand along the baseline, and immediately left the court for a medical timeout to address it. 6-3 lopsided loss by Nadal at Roland Garros in 2020, he's long wondered how he would fair on a hard court. Though Nadal's movement was clearly hindered, he hung tight in the third set. But Nadal snuffed out McDonald's advantage, putting the match back on even footing at 2-2 just minutes after fighting off a break point that would have dug him into a 0-3 hole. Open.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2022/09/05/frances-tiafoe-makes-a-huge-statement-for-american-tennis-shocking-rafael-nadal-in-us-open-4th-round/) Before that, the last American man to defeat Nadal at a major was James Blake at the U.S. McDonald, showing no signs of fatigue after a grueling four-hour first round match, came out of the blocks firing. I was really taking it to him,” said McDonald, who used relentless attacking to gain an advantage on Nadal even before the Spaniard got hurt. His previous earliest exist as the top seed was in the fourth round at the 2009 French Open. The 36-year-old Majorcan started the 2023 season unusually slow, with upset defeats to Cam Norrie and Alex de Minaur at United Cup. Even before Nadal's injury, the stage was set for a potential upset. Rafael Nadal suffered his earliest exit as the No.

Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset.

Nadal complained to the umpire that he was being rushed on his serve, before clawing a break back. On that occasion, at the 2020 French Open, Nadal dropped just four games in a comfortable victory. But the errors began to creep in again and he was broken again before hurting himself at 15-30 in the eighth game, which he lost before gingerly walking back to his seat. "He's an incredible champion, he's never going to give up regardless of the situation. This time McDonald was always in control with Nadal immediately on the back foot, broken on his first service game, with the American bursting out to a 4-1 lead. The last time Nadal fell so early at a Grand Slam was at the Australian Open in 2016, when he departed in the first round.

Defending champion Rafa Nadal bowed out of the Australian Open second round on Wednesday after sustaining an injury during his 6-4 6-4 7-5 defeat to ...

I'm really glad I got my chance and got away with it." But I kind of just kept focusing on myself and got through. [Nadal grinds out Australian Open win over injured Draper to reach second round](/sport/tennis/australian-open/nadal-grinds-out-australian-open-win-over-injured-jack-draper-to-reach-second-round-5394e989-c0e7-43f7-abc0-5d51100fedc1) [Will it be another miracle in Melbourne?

Rafael Nadal conjured a magical comeback to capture the Australian Open last January. A mesmerizing Mackenzie McDonald made the hobbled defending champion ...

I was not able to run for the ball. I was not able to hit the backhand at all. He's a great champion and it's tough to see him end the tournament like that." "I have history in the hip that I had issues," Nadal told the media in Melbourne. Leaning back in his court-side seat, Nadal looked up at the sky and exhaled deeply as if contemplating his condition. It's all the amount of work that you need to put together to come back at a decent level." After an on-court assessment, Nadal left the court for a three-minute medical timeout. So I really hope that that don't put me out of the court for a long time, because then it's tough to make all the recovery again. Truth be told, McDonald was playing at a level high enough to prevail even if the Roland Garros champion hadn't suffered injury. It's a stunning setback that creates a chasm in the top quarter of the draw. "I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. In a shocking upset, McDonald pounded the champion's forehand, punished his second serve and left him looking pained.

Mackenzie McDonald upset a hobbled Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the Australian Open, eliminating the top seed after two ...

[Rod Laver](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/rod-laver/l058/overview) Arena. [Australian Open](https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/australian-open/580/overview) for the second time, having advanced to the fourth round in 2021. 15 [Robby Ginepri](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/robby-ginepri/g569/overview), was comfortable in baseline rallies with the Spaniard. McDonald did not shy away from Nadal's forehand, and the lefty was not able to consistently put the World No. I'm happy I just kept focussing on myself in the end and got through, I got it done." I really wanted to take it to him on a hard court. The American hit a shoveled backhand passing shot up the line past Nadal, whose movement had been hampered. He's never going to give up, regardless of the situation. Although the 22-time Grand Slam champion battled on, he was clearly not 100 per cent physically for the rest of the match. At 5-3, the defending champion left the court with a physio for a medical timeout. "He's an incredible champion. "I thought I was playing really well, serving great, returning well too.

An injury-hampered Rafael Nadal's Australian Open title defence ended with defeat in straight sets to the American Mackenzie McDonald.

It was clear that a hobbled Nadal had almost chance of winning three consecutive sets yet he kept hold of his serve deep into the third set before McDonald finally broke serve and closed out the match, ending Nadal’s miserable day while securing the biggest win of his career. While Nadal trailed by a set and a break at 3-4, he lunged at a defensive forehand and pulled up clutching his stomach area. After suffering from injury while trailing in the second set, the defending champion and top seed was defeated 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 by unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.

Nadal appeared to be hampered by an injury he picked up in the game's second set.

Djokovic, who has won a record nine Australian Open titles, was unable to defend his crown last year after being dramatically deported from Australia over his Covid vaccination status. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it's not a sacrifice.” That is the total number of singles Grand Slam titles that Rafael Nadal has won in his career, more than any other player in men’s tennis history. His last two titles came at 2022’s Australian and French Opens. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more. Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal was knocked out of the Australian Open Wednesday, following a second-round defeat after he appeared to pick up an injury in the middle of the game, ending his pursuit for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.

Rafael Nadal admitted he felt “mentally destroyed” after the defence of his Australian Open title ended in injury and defeat by American Mackenzie McDonald ...

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) “I didn’t want to retire being defending champion here. Asked why he did not retire, Nadal said: “I was not able to hit the backhand at all. In the end it has been three positive weeks in terms of practice. I just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying. Sometimes it’s frustrating. It was not the right moment to have something like this now. “In the end, I can’t complain about my life at all. “I tried until the end. I had to do treatments in the past, address it a little (but there) was not this amount of problem. I don’t know if in good conditions I will win the match, I will have better chances without a doubt. He said: “It has been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement.

Rafael Nadal reflects on his Australian Open injury and loss to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the year's first Grand Slam.

“I think during the match every time I was a little bit closer and was understanding better the things that I had to do to overcome the situation. “I was not able to hit the backhand at all. I was not able to run for the ball. “But I don't know 'til I do the test and all this stuff, I don't know. That's the philosophy of the sport. “I have history in the hip that I had issues. “That's the sport at the same time. “I considered all the time stopping, but I didn't ask the physiotherapist at the end. I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. It's all the amount of work that you need to put together to come back at a decent level.” So I really hope that [this] doesn't put me out of the court for a long time, because then it's tough to make all the recovery again. From there, the match was the American’s for the taking, and take it McDonald did by a 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 margin.

Rafael Nadal hobbled to defeat in the second round of the Australian Open, raising speculation that it might have been his last appearance at Melbourne ...

He battled on but ultimately bowed out in a 6-4 6-4 7-5 defeat. He lost 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 and was out of competition for three weeks. He returned to action a month later. “Sometimes you feel super-tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries,” he said. 2023: Defending champion Nadal appeared to suffer a strain in his left hip in the second set of his second-round match against American Mackenzie McDonald. (It) was not this amount of problem. 2018: Nadal was forced to retire in the fifth set in his quarterfinal against Marin Cilic while trailing 3-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 2-0 because of a hip injury, which kept him sidelined for more than two months. In the 2018 Australian Open, Nadal was forced to retire in the fifth set of his quarterfinal against Marin Cilic while trailing 3-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 2-0 because of a hip injury. In 2010, he was forced to withdraw from his quarterfinal against Andy Murray while trailing the Briton 6-3 7-6 3-0 due to a knee injury that sidelined him for a month. I have a history (of) hip issues. McDonald took the second set when Nadal whacked a forehand into the net, and the Spaniard thudded his racket into his chair at the change of ends. Nadal tweaked his left hip while running for a backhand in the second set in Rod Laver Arena, and after inspection from a trainer when trailing 6-4 5-3, he went off-court for a medical time-out.

MELBOURNE - Rafael Nadal said he was "destroyed mentally" after slumping out of the Australian Open with a second-round defeat Wednesday in which he ...

"I don't know what can happen in the future. It's not that complicated to understand." "I like to feel myself competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more. "Now it's a tough moment. I know it's not forever.

Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Rafael Nadal has lost 11 matches and seven of those have come against players from North America.

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) Shapovalov also got a walkover win at the Paris Masters in 2019. [News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/news/) [Live Tennis](https://www.tennis365.com/category/live-tennis/) [Tennis News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/tennis-news/) [Universal Tennis serve up realistic ratings system – with Novak Djokovic top](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/universal-tennis-rankings-djokovic/) [beat the Spaniard 7-6 (7-3), 6-1](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/nadal-no1-taylor-fritz-atpfinals/) at the ATP Finals in Turin. [securing a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 victor](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/alarming-moment-rafael-nadal-paris/)y. [he won 6-3, 6-4](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/felix-auger-aliassime-topples-rafael-nadal-in-turin-to-dent-no-1-hopes/) during the group phase of the season-ending tournament in Turin, Italy. [a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/frances-tiafoe-stuns-rafael-nadal-us-open-tears/) for his first-career win over his esteemed colleague. [going down 3–6, 6–7 (5–7)](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/nadal-no1-taylor-fritz-atpfinals/). [he suffered a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat](https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/denis-shapovalov-huge-fan-injured-rafael-nadal-french-open/) at the hands of Canadian Shapovalov.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal hobbled out of the second round in a major upset at the Australian Open on Wednesday, but there was no such trouble for the ...

The outside courts belatedly saw action in the early evening, but six hours of play was lost. Nadal says he feels ‘quite ready’ for Australian Open defence](/sport/tennis/australian-open/will-it-be-another-miracle-in-melbourne-rafael-nadal-says-he-feels-quite-ready-for-australian-open-defence-10ed7bf9-1570-5327-91b8-d554608fd08f) [Djokovic the man to beat at Australian Open but can rival Nadal win NO 23?](/sport/tennis/australian-open/novak-djokovic-the-man-to-beat-at-australian-open-but-can-rival-rafael-nadal-win-no-23-30906f15-f25e-40be-87f4-80f8e57dbf6f) "But the way that some players celebrate their points, it's not appropriate. The 3rd set was insane... Don't think I'm saying all this because I want to take a step back. what I want is to continue playing tennis.

Rafa Nadal said he would plot a path back to the tour once he has a firm prognosis for the troubling hip problem that cut short his Australian Open, ...

I like to feel myself competitive. I like playing tennis. “It's a very simple thing: I like what I do.

Rafael Nadal admitted to feeling "destroyed mentally" after a straight sets defeat to American Mackenzie McDonald in the Australian Open second round.

[I] just can't say that I am not destroyed mentally at the moment." "You know, in the end, I can't complain about my life at all. "So, I really hope that [the injury doesn't] put me out of the court for a long time, because then it's tough to make all the recovery again. The injury significantly impaired his movement and he admitted "to being in a lot of pain". I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more." it's all the amount of work that you need to put together to come back at a decent level.

Defeat opens the door for arch-rival Novak Djokovic to draw equal with Nadal's record 22 Slam wins. The Serb is back in Melbourne after missing last year's ...

Nadal complained to the umpire that he was being rushed on his serve, before clawing a break back. On that occasion, at the 2020 French Open, Nadal dropped just four games in a comfortable victory. "He's an incredible champion, he's never going to give up regardless of the situation. But the errors began to creep in again and he was broken again before hurting himself at 15-30 in the eighth game, which he lost before gingerly walking back to his seat. The Spaniard was on shaky territory, but as he has done so many times before, he found a way to claw back and level the set at 2-2. The Serb is back in Melbourne after missing last year's tournament when he was deported.

The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with a hip injury, slumped 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 at Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal complained to the umpire that he was being rushed on his serve, before clawing a break back. "He's an incredible champion, he's never going to give up regardless of the situation. On that occasion, at the 2020 French Open, Nadal dropped just four games in a comfortable victory. I was not able to run for the ball. "I was not able to hit the backhand at all. "It has been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement," said Nadal.