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Top seed Rafael Nadal saw his Australian Open defense come to an end after being beaten by 65th seed Mackenzie McDonald of the United States 6-4 6-4 7-5.
The top seed had a problem in the set and broke down for the unseeded McDonald when he crouched down in obvious pain clutching his left hip after chasing out the corner for a forehand.
Nadal called his trainer after limping through the rest of the game and left the court for treatment.
Retirement looked like a card, with the Spaniard’s wife, Maria, crying in the stands, but he chose to continue despite limping on the pitch.
Nadal was able to hold his serve until the 11th game, cheered by fans who still believed he could turn things around, but it turned out that McDonald would not find a way and he would win.
Nadal said he came into the match with a hip problem which later worsened.
He said: “It’s been like this for days, but nothing like this in the movement. Now we’re going to start talking about it, but I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s a muscle, if it’s a joint. .
“I have a history of hip. I had to do treatment in the past, overcome a little bit [but there] no this is the number of problems. Now I feel like I can’t move.
“I tried until the end. I don’t know if in good condition I would have won the match, I would have had a better chance without a doubt. But in the end, it was. I just tried. It didn’t work.”
Nadal went up awkwardly at the end of a point in the second set against the 65th-ranked McDonald.
The 36-year-old added: “In terms of sport and in terms of injuries and difficult times, it’s something else. I just can’t say I’m not mentally destroyed at the moment, because I’d be lying.
“I hope it’s nothing too bad. It’s been three positive weeks in terms of training. So I’m really hoping that it doesn’t keep me out of the court for too long, because then it’s hard to do all the recovery. again.
“I’ve been through this process many times in my career and I’m ready to continue doing it, I think, but it’s not easy, without a doubt.”
It was a sad way for Nadal to exit the tournament a year after his near-miraculous run to the title when he feared his career might be over due to chronic foot problems, and there were certainly serious doubts about whether he would play. again at Melbourne Park.
She went on to win her 22nd Grand Slam title at last year’s French Open, but struggled due to a stomach ailment and withdrew from Wimbledon before the semi-finals.
Nadal went to the first round clash with Britain’s Jack Draper who has lost six of the previous seven matches and, although scrapped for a four-set victory, there are some ways below the best.
They were right in the early stages against McDonald, 27-year-old ranked 65. looking for the first victory over the top five players in the Grand Slam.
“I just can’t say I’m not mentally broken right now, because I’d be lying”
The match was played under the roof at Rod Laver Arena on a rainy day in Melbourne, and the indoor conditions certainly suited McDonald.
He caught Nadal cold and broke the Spaniard twice to lead 4-1 before the top seed dug in and made it a battle in the opening set.
Nadal, who complained before the tournament about the ball, produced a couple of trademark forehands but also made too many mistakes, and more often than not he broke the baseline rallies.
Nadal made one break point with McDonald serving for the plane only to hit the roof with a mis-hit, and did not get another chance.
McDonald, who fought compatriot Brandon Nakashima in five sets in the first round, broke serve again at the start of the second.
Nadal seemed to be able to turn things around when he played three games in a row, but McDonald broke again in the seventh game, and some time later the injury occurred.
Asked why he didn’t retire, Nadal said: “I can’t hit the backhand at all. I can’t run for the ball. But I just want to finish the match.
“I don’t want to retire as the defending champion here. It’s better like this in the end. I lost. There’s nothing to say. Good luck to my opponent.”
McDonald paid tribute to Nadal, saying: “He’s an amazing champion, he never gives up no matter what the situation is, so even against someone at the top like that is always difficult.
“I was trying to stay focused on what I was doing and kind of get me out of it with what I was doing. But I kind of just kept focusing on myself and got through it.
“The last time I played him was at Chatrier, he kicked my ass,” said McDonald, who took just four games from Nadal in the second round of the 2020 French Open.
“It’s difficult to press through on clay but I like the chance on the hard, I really wanted to take it to him on the hard court. I’m really glad I got the chance and escaped from it.”
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