Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open title defense ended abruptly on Wednesday as he fell 4-6, 4-6, 5-7 to American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
Nadal, 36, struggled with a left hip injury throughout the match and needed treatment during the second set on Rod Laver Arena.
Despite his discomfort, he finished the match, marking his earliest Grand Slam exit since the 2016 Australian Open. “I didn’t want to retire as the defending champion here. I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement,” Nadal told reporters.
“It’s better like this at the end. I lost, nothing to say, congratulate my opponent. That’s the sport at the same time – just try your best until the end.” McDonald, who broke Nadal’s serve in the opening game, took control with powerful baseline hitting.
He repeated the feat in the second set, capitalizing on Nadal’s restricted movement. Nadal, seeking to extend his record 22 Grand Slam titles, took a medical timeout at 5-3 in the second set but continued to struggle in the third.
At 5-5 in the third set, McDonald secured a crucial break with a backhand passing shot, then clinched the victory when Nadal’s backhand return hit the net. The match lasted two hours and 32 minutes.
“He’s an incredible champion,” McDonald said in his on-court interview. “He’s never going to give up, regardless of the situation, so even closing it out against a top guy like that is always tough.
I was trying to stay so focused on what I was doing. He kind of got me out of the rhythm with that but I’m happy I kept focusing on myself in the end and got through.”
Nadal plans to undergo treatment to determine the nature and extent of his injury. “It’s difficult to make a resolution if it’s a muscle, if it’s the joint, if it’s the cartilage… Let’s see how the injury is, and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar,” he told reporters.
McDonald, who hit 42 winners against Nadal, now looks to match his best Grand Slam run if he can beat Dalibor Svrcina or Yoshihito Nishioka in the third round.