Getty Images
Rafael Nadal must wait longer to probably win his twenty third Grand Slam. The high seed took an early exit from the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday as he was eradicated within the second spherical by Sixty fifth-ranked Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
Nadal battled by way of a left hip harm in the course of the match.
“It’s a tricky second. It’s a tricky day,” Nadal mentioned following the loss, the Associated Press reported. “I am unable to say that I’m not destroyed mentally at this second, as a result of I might be mendacity.”
Late within the second set, Nadal got here up awkwardly after the top of some extent in opposition to McDonald. A coach came to visit to examine on Nadal, who even left the court docket for a medical timeout. The 36-year-old star ultimately returned to the court docket to renew the match, however was clearly not proper bodily.
Wednesday’s second spherical loss is the earliest that Nadal has been eradicated in a Grand Slam event because the 2016 Australian Open when he misplaced to Fernando Verdasco. This comes after Nadal gained the Australian Open for the second time in 2022.
After the match, Nadal alluded to the truth that he could not correctly hit his backhand and his cardio wasn’t close to the shape he is accustomed to after sustaining the hip harm. Nadal admitted that his hip had been hampering him for just a few days, however it received quite a bit worse on Wednesday.
Injuries have been a problem for Nadal as of late. He needed to have pain-killing injections in his left foot on his solution to profitable the 2022 French Open. In July, he needed to pull out of Wimbledon previous to the semifinals attributable to a torn stomach muscle. The 22-time Grand Slam champion additionally had a rib cartilage harm all through the 2022 season.
