Nadal’s defeat in a tournament may create an opportunity for Novak Djokovic to potentially tie or surpass Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam wins. Djokovic currently has 20 Grand Slam wins.
Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, suffered a shocking defeat against American Mackenzie McDonald. McDonald, ranked 65th in the world, defeated the 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, by overpowering him with his superior play.
McDonald, a player who had only defeated a top-10 player once in his career, managed to oust Nadal. The loss for Nadal marks his earliest exit from the Australian Open since 2016, when he was defeated in the first round. Rafael found himself in a difficult position as he struggled to deal with the American’s powerful forehand. He faced difficulty from the start of the second set and was broken early on as McDonald continued to dominate him on the court.
Despite his struggles, fans supported Nadal as he tried to make a comeback in the second set. Nadal however looked in severe discomfort and he took a medical break while trailing two sets to zero in the second round. Nadal has left the Rod Laver Arena in visible pain, limping after chasing a ball across the baseline. The No.1 seed and Spanish legend spent more than 10 minutes off the court during a medical time-out with what is suspected to be a stomach problem.
Nadal received treatment from a trainer on the sidelines before leaving the court for a medical timeout. His wife, watching from the stands, was seen wiping away tears. Rafael returned to play, but it was clear that he was physically impaired and unable to play with his usual level of intensity, chasing after every ball.
Nadal earlier advanced past the challenging British player Jack Draper in the first round but didn’t seem to be at his best. His mobility and range of shots appeared to be hindered by the injuries that plagued him in the latter half of 2022. Nadal had also earlier mentioned about the abdominal injury he suffered and how it was affecting him getting back into rhythm. It certainly seemed to have played a key role again as he pulled up awkwardly at the end of a point in the second set. He also dropped the second set against Jack Draper in the first-round match, which Rafael went on to win comfortably.
Nadal also lost his cool with the chair umpire over a controversial call
Rafael Nadal’s match against Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open got off to a rocky start as he found himself in a heated argument with chair umpire Marijana Veljovic over the use of the serve clock. Rafael, who appeared to be struggling in the closed roof conditions of Rod Laver Arena, was already down 4-1 when he accused Veljovic of rushing him on his serves. The humidity in the arena was causing Rafael to sweat excessively, forcing him to retrieve his towel after every point and return it to the far corner of the court between serves. The incident added to Rafael’s frustration as he was already down in the first set.
Rafael Nadal’s frustration boiled over as he accused chair umpire Marijana Veljovic of starting the serve clock too soon while he was retrieving his towel. Rafael felt that he was not being given enough time to reset between points. The outburst was unusual for the Spanish tennis great, as commentator and former player Jim Courier stated that Rafael rarely shows frustration on the court.
Rafael Nadal’s exit from the tournament is a significant loss, as it is already short on star power due to injuries and retirements of top players like Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic, Ash Barty, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams. The tournament has also seen a decline in television ratings, with more viewers choosing to watch other programs like Home and Away.